Theseus Jackson,son of Hades
by son of Hades 12
Summary: What if Percy had a brother?What if his brother was a son of Hades?What if Sally died when he was seven?Follow Theseus and Percy on their adventures from Retrieving Zeus' bolt to defeating Kronos.I don't own Percy Jackson,Rick Riordan does.I think 36 chapters will be enough I'll do the rest as a sequel.
1. Prologue

**Okay,this is my first Percy Jackson fanfic where I can actually write without the really crappy grammar errors that this computer seems to make,I've half solved that problem so some words might be cut off and I'm sorry for that**

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prologue

In an apartment on the upper east side of Manhattan in a cradle sits two boys,one a 2 month old with onyx colored eyes,the other a 1-year old with sea-green eyes,both with black hair,looking into the crib are 4 people,two female and two male,one woman with brown hair and orange eyes,the other with blonde hair and grey eye,one of the men has greasy black hair and onyx colored eyes,the other black hair and sea-green eyes,the blonde girl asks,

"Why did you two bring us here to see your forbidden children?"

The onyx eyed man says,"Athena I named him Theseus,to explain why is so that it shows Poseidon is okay with this and that I ask you to be his godmother and Poseidon wants Hestia to be Perseus' godmother."

Athena smiles,"I accept and I will bless your son right now."

She touches the onyx eyed babies head and says,"I give you my blessing of wisdom so that you may be smart enough to face any challenge you face."

the baby is covered in a cocoon of grey energy before his dark aura says,"I will of course accept the offer to be my nephew's godmother and I will also bless him."

She touches the sea-green eyed boys forehead and says,"I give you the blessing oh the hearth and of home so that you can always be safe in your home."

The boy is also covered in a cocoon of energy but the energy is orange.

The gods leave as the mother comes in the room and starts to feed the babies.

7 years later

Sally Jackson is running through the city as a cyclops runs to catch her and she pulls her sons with her before running into a dead-end the cyclops brings his fist down on Sally killing her instantly the younger son falls to his knees as he feels his mother's life force cyclops was about to attack the boys when a ball of fire hits him and he is knocked into a spear and turns into golden dust,two women walk towards the boys and the older one steps in front of the younger one,

"Don't come any closer,you leave my brother and I alone."

The blonde haired one says,"Oh I can't leave my godson to die on the streets of Manhattan."

The brown-haired one says,"Me either."

The younger boy says,"You are our godmothers?"

The ladies nod and say,"Do you two know about the Greek gods?"

The boys nod and the blonde says,"I'm Athena and you Theseus are my godson and son of Hades."

The boy says,"Then you are Hestia."

Hestia nods,"Perseus you are my godson and son of Poseidon."

Percy asks,"Where do we go now?"

Athena says,"We are taking you to camp half-blood a safe place for demigods like you two,but first."

She pulls out a skull ring with the phrase "Wisdom conquer's all" etched into it and gives it to Theseus,"pull it toward yourself."

I do so and it becomes a pitch black sword,"It's stygian iron,this is your weapon"

Hestia hands Percy a pen and says,"Your father would have me give you riptide but this is longer and let's you store water in the hilt,it's name is tsounámi or tsunami in English"

He nods and the goddesses grab their godsons' arms and flash away they appear at a summer camp as two others walk from the hill sadly everyone watches not noticing the people who just appeared

The people everyone is looking at are a boy about 14 with blonde hair and blue eyes,the other a girl about Percy's age that looks exactly like Athena when everyone notices Athena and Hestia they bow and the two who just got here walk up then kneel Athena smiles at the girl,

"I'm here for two reasons,one is to introduce Theseus Jackson son of Hades but he is also my godson therefore I would like my children to meet a new cabin mate,the second reason is to claim my daughter Annabeth Chase."

the girl stands up and walks beside me Hestia says,"And I'm here to introduce my godson,Perseus Jackson son of Poseidon."

Everyone gasps and the goddesses disappear.A half man half horse walks up and says,"Hello Heroes,I'm Chiron,Malcom tell me why everyone is silent."

A Athenian kid says,"The two young boys were brought here by mom and Hestia,mom said the younger one is her godson and son of Hades,the older one is Hestia's godson and son of Poseidon,the big reason is that their children of two of the big three and they are brothers."

Chiron says,"I see,tell me your names."

The 14 year old says,"I'm Luke Castellan son of Hermes."

Annabeth says,"Annabeth Chase,daughter of Athena."

Percy says,"Perseus Jackson,son of Poseidon and godson of Hestia."

Chiron looks at Theseus as he hides in Percy's shadow,Percy turns and says,"Listen bro we are safe I won't let anyone hurt you."

An muscled kid says,"Yeah right,I could punch him right now and you wouldn't do a thing."

Percy says,"Try me."

The guy walks forward and Percy pulls out Tsunami and points it,the kid jumps back and stays back,Percy puts it away and Theseus walks forward,"I'm Theseus Jackson,son of Hades and godson of Athena."

Chiron nods and says,"well Perseus Poseidon cabin for you, will go to Athena cabin, and Theseus will go to Hermes cabin."

Malcom steps froward,"Chiron mom says that he is to stay in the Athena cabin."

He nods and Malcom takes Annabeth and Theseus to the cabin and get them some sleep and will give them a tour tomorrow.

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**There is the prologue,hope you like it so this is the longest Prolgue I've ever seen.  
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	2. Touring camp

**Here's some stuff you need to know,Theseus' birthday is August 1st which is next chapter,his ring as you may have noticed was inspired by Nico's,and he has a watch Hades left him that has images of the Fields of Punishment on it.**

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ch.1 touring camp

(Theseus' POV)

I wake up and Malcom Tries to give me some rainbow-colored clothes I step back,"No way,not happening I don't wear anything like that I prefer black clothing,you'll never see me in rainbow-colored clothing ever."

He says,"Your definitely are a child of Hades."

He leaves and comes back with black clothes I smile,"Thanks."

He smiles,"Your welcome,now where's Annabeth?"

I point at her bed and he walks over to her while I grab my ring and the one thing my dad left me a black watch.I walk back over and say,"Where's Percy?"

Malcom says,"Talking to Mr.D and Chiron telling them about you two and what happened,the only thing I heard was about your mother's death."

I look down and a girl walks over and asks,"What did you say Malcom?"

He whispers to her and she smacks the back of his head,"Malcom you moron,mom would freak if she found out you did something that stupid,his mom died yesterday."

He says,"I'm sorry Theseus I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

I lift up my head and say,"I'm good,I'm okay."

Annabeth looks around,"Did anyone else notice it get darker after Malcom said that?"

They look at me and Malcom and the girl step to the side and I hear Malcom say,"He's powerful and he and his brother radiate power like his brother makes you feel like you're on a beach with just his presence and Theseus' aura look at it,that's too much like Hades' as described is dark and induces fear,try feeling Theseus' aura."

The girl looks at me then looks away I hear her say,"You're right,we need to be careful and we need someone to teach him about his powers."

They look at each other and say,"Mom."

They walk back over and Malcom says,"First we have breakfast then we'll start the tour,Athena cabin to breakfast."

We walk outside and into the pavilion and those who didn't know about me looked amazed at the black hair among the many blondes.I get my food and when I look at Malcom questioningly he says,

"You throw some of your food in the fire and pray to a god or goddess."

I throw my pizza in the fire and think,_Dad,Athena please come and show me how to use my powers,Poseidon,Hestia,I thank you for not trying to kill me,and protecting me and Percy._

I move to the table and ask,"Annabeth,may I sit beside you?"

she smiles,"Sure,nothing stopping you."

I sit down and say,"So back at your home did you have someone who hated you?"

she nods,"My step-mom."

I nod,"My step-dad is a huge jerk,I wish my mom was still alive with my powers from my dad I could give her a mansion with the riches I could bring up and I could sue Smelly Gabe to get some stuff and him in jail."

She puts her hand on my shoulder and I smile,"How about we be friends?"

She smiles,"Good,my first friend at camp."

We walk outside and Malcom soon comes out to give us the tour we go to the first cabin and he says,"Cabin 1,Zeus cabin."

looking like a white marble box, with heavy, white columns in the front. This cabin is the biggest and bulkiest of all the cabins. It has polished bronze doors that shimmer like a hologram, and have lightning bolts streaked down them..Malcom says,"Cabin two,Hera's cabin."

The Hera cabin looks much like the Zeus cabin made of marble, and is shaped like a box. The cabin is more graceful than Zeus' cabin, with slimmer white columns, garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls are carved with images of her symbol; the peacocks.

He then shows us the other cabins and I say,"I'm the most interested in the Hephaestus cabin that must have taken a while to make and it's very good."

He quickly shows us the rest of the camp and I try to pet the Pagasi at the stables and they jump and try to hit my with their hooves,Malcom says,

"Children of Hades and animals don't mix."

I nod and ask,"Then how come Owls are okay with me(I look behind them to see a spider on Malcom's Shoulder I pont and say,)Sp-sp-spider."

I step back and Annabeth and Malcom look and Annabeth follows my lead Malcom shakes and I concentrate then the shadows on Malcom make the spider shoot away with a flick.

Malcom says,"Man,when did mom bless you and accept being your godmother?"

I say,"My mom says that I was blessed as a baby with wisdom."

Malcom nods,"Of course,that's it she has to adopt you now,she might have forgotten but she has to adopt you because the ancient laws say if you bless the child of another god as a baby you have to adopt them if their mortal parent dies then you have to adopt them."

Athena's voice say,"I didn't forget,I just spoke to his mother and she knew all along and was okay with it so,I Athena goddess of wisdom hereby adopt Theseus A. Jackson as my son."

Malcom tilts his head,"what does the A stand for?"

Athena says,"Achilles."

I laugh and ask,"Athe-mom,can you teach me how to use my dad's powers?"

She says,"Sure lesson one shadow travel,think of where you want to be then run into the nearest shadow this should be easy for you."

I smile and think_,I want to see my dad,_I run into the shadow of a tree and the shadows grab me and I appear next to a white throne and I see my dad a man with greasy black hair,my eyes,and black says,

"Theseus,what are you doing here."

Due to his tone I could tell it wasn't a question,"shadow travel training."

he says,"I'll take you back to camp."

He flashes us out and he says,"Back at this camp,well hello Athena and children,oh yes Theseus I have two presents for you."

He pulls out a black wristcuff(1) and a black jacket I ask,"What do they do?"

He says,"the wirstcuff can become two knives and the jacket when worn it makes it to where you can't be seen or heard while in the shadows."

I smile,"Thanks dad."

I hug him and he says,"You'll also be able to use your powers with complete control after you wear it as it put's the knowledge into your brain,oh I almost forgot your namesake will be with you by tomorrow to be your adviser."

Athena smiles,"Good idea Hades,make sure you ask him for help in your strategy in capture the flag tomorrow."

Malcom jumps as the flash out,"we've got to get you training,get a move on."

I walk to the sword arena and asks the guy teaching,"Can I join?"

He nods and I start learning.

**meanwhile**

**(Zeus' point of view)**(2)

I yell my face red with anger,"That death spawn is still alive,kill him,Ares go kill him!"

Athena says,"But father he is my son too this is not even wise,why even worry about him?"

I yell,"Don't argue with me!"

she yells back,"He's not a danger to us!"

I say,"I can not allow that death spawn to live a violation of the oath."

Athena says,"Father if I may,you broke the oath too,twice."

I ask,"Can you guarantee that he will not join our enemies no matter what?"

She nods,"Yes,I guarantee that he is completely loyal to the Olympians."

Zeus nods,"Nevermind Ares."

**Back to Theseus POV at camp**

I jump up as I swing my sword,which I named Mortem,Death in Latin,because of the fear and death energy it blade cuts down my enemy by his legs the instructor a son of Hermes named Sam says,

"Wow in only 30 minutes you've gone into the advanced moves,natural swordsman."

I nod and glare at everyone that is not Percy or a child of Athena.I walk out of the arena and to the archery range I train there until I hit the bulls-eye 3 times in a I go to the forge and talk to the Hephaestus cabin leader Charles Beckndorf I ask,

"Can you help me I'm gonna make some arrows and I'm going to enchant the quiver and a bow to become a wristcuff and armcuff,and you are the best at it so I decided to ask you."

He smiles,"Sure come with me."

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**explanations**

**1 an ancient part of clothing a leather cuff that goes around the wrist if on the arm it is an armcuff,used by the Greeks.**

**2 I decided that since the oath thing this would help the situation.**


	3. Other children of Hades

**I skipped a few years and messed with some stuff. **

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ch.2 other children of Hades?

I get up and the spirit of my namesake asks,"Are you hungry,my lord?"

I say,"Nah,just thirsty I'll give all my food to the gods."

I look at my necklace with 4 beads,one black with a helm on it,one red with an owl on it,one green with a fish on it,and the last one is grey with a spear on it.

I smile as Annabeth says,"Hey Thece,what's up?"

I smile,"You know the usual,not trusting anyone not in the Athena cabin or not Percy and using my powers to annoy Clarisse."

She laughs and we walk out to breakfast with the others I take my food a shove it all into the flames I say,_Love you mom, please take this as a token of appreciation for the birthday thanks for helping me not get killed by Ares,how was I supposed to know that Clarisse's head was not a plunger she sure as hell has a mouth big enough._

I walk back and start drinking my tea Clarisse walks over and says,"Yo,Pisseus are you ready to get your ass whooped Friday?"

I smile,"Oh,Miss Plunger it's the other way around Athena cabin will kick your ass."

She blushes as everyone laughs I smile and say,"Well gotta fly,I've got a sword fighting class to teach."

I jump off making the shadows carry me while I just sit,everyone I pass smiles and one guys says,"Like the flying nimbus from that anime you like Tom."

I jump and run as the class is about to start I smile and start the lesson.

**3:00 am**

Going to the big house the harpies attack me but I hold up a paper allowing me to be out and walk off,I walk into the big house and ask,"Why call me in so early in the morning?"

I look as Chiron points to a boy and a girl who are sitting in the living room,unconscious,I inspect them and say,"Yep children of Hades all right,I'll go talk to mom."

I go to a fountain and make a rainbow using the small amount of light from the sun I throw in the coin,"Hey Iris can I talk to Athena?"

Athena appears and I ask,"Hey mom we found some children of Hades and I want to know if they can stay at the Athena cabin instead of the Hermes cabin."

She says,"Any children of Hades that appear are allowed to be in my cabin."

I smile and say,"Thanks mom."

We break the connection and I tell Chiron before putting the girl over my shoulder and having the shadows carry the boy to the Athena cabin the others go to breakfast and I stay with the two Annabeth and Malcom come in Annabeth carrying one tray of food,and Malcom carrying set the food down and go to their classes I grab one tray and start after I finish the girl wakes up and yells,

"No more,no more minotaurs."

She looks around and sees me and says,"You look familiar."

I try to look over her as the boy wakes up she looks at the boy and asks,"Nico are you alright?"

He says,"Yeah a bit hungry,where can we get some food Bianca."

I pick up a tray of food and give it to him,"Here you go our cabin mates got this for you,there's one for you too."

She looks at the other tray as I give it to says,"Thanks,uh who are you?"

I hold out my hand,"Theseus Jackson,son of Hades adopted son of Athena."

She nods,"Who is our parent,the goat guy said that he was a very powerful god but not who he was."

I say,"The goat guy didn't honestly know there are three very powerful gods ,my older brothers father,and Hades,our dad."

she asks,"Did you accidentally say our?"

I say,"Nope,you and Nico here are my half-siblings."

She nods Nico says,"Cool."

The other Athenians come in to see the two awake and Annabeth comes forward,"Hello,I'm Annabeth daughter of Athena and head councilor of the Athena cabin."

the girl shakes Annabeths hand and Nico is busy talking to my namesake,Nico smiles,"Are there anymore spirits of great heroes here I want to meet Perseus."

I say,"we don't have original Perseus but we do have my older brother,too bad our schedules aren't the same as his,come over here I'll show you the Hades corner of the cabin,this part has shadows all the time all day and night so they gave it to me and other children of Hades,my bed is the top one."

they nod and I throw Nico a skull ring,"I had some time a while back and made this read the inscription."

He says,"With great power comes great need to take a nap."

Everyone in the room laughed,"there's a sense of humor that you only see from a happy son of Hades."

I throw Bianca a hairpin and say,"There's a bow and quiver when you need it just rub it I was going to give that to Annabeth but your new."

She smiles and I show them around camp and soon the gods show up for their monthly visit Hades comes up."There's my kids,did you get here okay Damn Zeus trying to kill you but I have to call something for him."

He yells,"Listen,Zeus' bolt and my helm have been stolen I call a quest for one of my children,a child of Athena,and another demigod to go find them,my Furies will help."

I come forward,"I know,me,Annabeth,and Percy,we're the smartest and most powerful demigods here,well smart..not Percy but powerful yes."

He glares at me,"Not cool Thece,not cool."

I go to the big house and I walk up the ladder with him We walk up to the mummy and it spews green smoke and the smoke gathers around Percy and I hear a raspy voice say,

_"You shall go west, and face the god who has turned,_

_You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned,_

_You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend._"

The smoke gathers around me and says,

"_You shall follow Poseidon's son,_

_You'll find your father's helm,and see it returned,_

_You will betrayed by one who calls you family._"

We both go down and I say,"I may be a son of Hades,but that was creepy."

We tell Chiron the prophecies and he sends us off,before we leave Luke comes up and gives both of us a pair of flying shoes.I shiver at the thought of flying and hand mine to Annabeth,and I throw Percy's in my get into the camp van and ride into New York I sigh,

"Man We haven't been out of camp for 4 years,I kinda like the shadows around here."

Percy looks at me then Annabeth as Argus drops us off at the bus station.

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**I hope you like review.**


	4. The Quest

**Well I love that I can do this and not have to deal with my family.**

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ch.3 the quest

We wait for the bus I pull out a black ball and start bouncing it Annabeth looks at it as I start doing tricks with it like bouncing it with my foot,knee,and elbow before shoving it into my get on a bus and I see three familiar old ladies I look at Percy and we both say the same thing,

"Hello Alecto,Tisiphone,and Megaera."

Alecto says,"Well Lord Theseus and son of Poseidon,the bolt and helm are located in Santa Monica but there are tons of monsters in the way."

I nod,"Thanks but why did you all come?"

They point in front of us and we see a hydra I yell,"Oh,Shit on a stick!"

The hydra blows fire on the bus and we jump out I yell,"Percy,go for its head cut it off then burn what's left with your fire power while I distract it!"

I run at it and summon some helhounds I yell,"Sick'em boys!"

the hellhounds attack the hydra and I watch as Percy cuts the first head off and shots a fireball at it.I pull on my skull ring and my sword appears I cut off the heads as quickly as quickly shoots more fireballs and the hydra turns into dust leaving only 3 claws behind I grab them and stuff them in my looks at me confused.

I sigh,"Percy it's for studying,usually there's only one claws if anything left when you kill a hydra,but this can be used for research like right now it has 2,5 liters of poison in it right now,thank my dad that I have the ability to sense poison."

We walk off into the woods and Percy looks back as we hear a big boom he says,"Shit shacks,I forgot my backpack,on the bus!"

I look at him and reach out my hand which gets covered in shadows when I pull my hand back I'm holding two bags one sea green and the other laughs,

"Oh,yeah that power."

I look around and we walk again I say,"Damn I wish we were near an ocean,then Percy could direct us to Santa Monica."

He laughs,"The great Theseus is wishing I thought you hated happy stuff lord Killjoy."

I growl,"Listen up Toilet king I'm more fun than you are."

He blushes deeply in embarrassment,"Man,I shouldn't have told you about that."

Annabeth says,"Boys,we have a long way to Santa Monica we need a ride."

I smile,"A ride you say?Perce call him,I'll call my friend."

Percy gives a taxi cab whistle and in seconds a pure black Pegasus flies up,I stomp on the ground and a dead Pegasus comes out of the ground making Blackjack,my brother's Pegasus jump,I jump on the skeleton Pegasus,named Bonebreath,and Percy holds his hand out to Annabeth,she gladly takes it and gets on we start flying,I hear Annabeth ask,

"When did you get a pure black Pegasus,Percy?"

He says,"Oh,he was a present for my 12 birthday,I never got the chance to ride him til now."

I smile,"Well Percy,let's think about the quest,what god would benefit from a war between the big three?"

Annabeth says,"Hecate,Hera,Dionysus,and..."

"ARES!",we both yell

I say,"Ares benefits from any and all wars."

Annabeth nods,"Yes and we have until the solstice which is the day after tomorrow so if we get to Santa Monica by the end of today and we get the bolt and helm back then we get on a plane we'll get back to Olympus just in time,the gods could have started this earlier and we could have more time if they had told us sooner."

I nod,"Then Blackjack,Bonebreath full speed ahead."

The steeds shoot across the sky at over 30 mph Annabeth says,"Okay factoring in location,speed,time,and distance,we'll reach Santa Monica by noon on the solstice."

I nod and say,"That's why we're only riding half the way then I'll shadow travel us to Santa Monica."

she asks,"Why not now?"

I say,"Because,my dad said that there's something that will stop me from shadow traveling til we're halfway there,he doesn't know what it is and neither do I."

We quickly get halfway at exactly 1:00 am I sigh and say,"Wow I seriously need something to eat,my stomach is collapsing,Perce you mind?"

He hold his hand over the ground and concentrates seconds later a picnic appears.I smile and say,"Thank you Perce."

I jump down and start chowing down I hear Annabeth say,"I've wanted to ask,have you ever seen Thece actually hug someone besides Hades?"

Percy says,"Nope,when me and him were kids he didn't even hug me or mom,when I hugged him he'd punch me(she gasps),but when mom hugged him he'd slip out and run into his room,which was the closet in my room,which thanks to Hades we had huge closets,he said he chose that because the light is only ever tuned on when he's not in it(I feel Annabeth's gaze burning into my back after he finished)."

She says,"Wow,then that explains why he never hugs anyone,Malcom always ties to get him to be friends with someone,to which he says he has enough friends,which Malcom says family are not friends then he ignores Malcom,or get a girlfriend,he replies the girls around camp are too happy and clingy,he just blows off everything but he will laugh and other stuff with us,he just doesn't pay attention to the girls around camp."**(A/N:Who else thought this is funny)**

Percy laughs and says,"remember when a guy said that he should hook up with you?"

She laughs,"Yeah,the guy found Thece's foot in his face and blacked out,being taken to the Infirmary and woke up 3 days later."

I say,"Annabeth you tell Malcom if he wants me to get a girlfriend the girl has to be like me,not all clingy like Demeter's daughters,or slutty like Aphrodite's daughters,though Selena is an exception from that,or is too happy like daughters of Hermes."

I hear one of them crying and I turn around to see its Annabeth I look at her and she says,"I'm okay Percy it's just Thece here is like Thalia,you know Thalia's pine,her father,Zeus turned her into that tree."

I look at her,"You know the golden fleece might be able to make that tree sustain it's self enough to bring her back,I've even talked to mom about it and she says it's very possible."

she smiles,"Then we'll look for the fleece,you think you can get mom to give us a quest for it?"

I smile,"I know someone else we can ask."

She looks at me with wide eyes as realization dawns on her,"Zeus,he'll want Thalia back and we could have the whole cabin working on poof that it will work and then have mom say how it is possible,then he'll call the quest,but that'll take a while."

I smile,"If we talk to him about it on August 19th and he'll let us,I already know we'll have to sail to get it,I don't know where."

I look at Percy,"We'd better worry about now though."

she nods and says,"Shadow travel time."

I say,"Okay I'll summon some hellhounds."

I whistle and two hellhounds big enough to ride appear I tell them where to get on and how to hold on before I tell the hell hounds to shadow travel to Santa Monica beach.

I then Jump into a shadow appearing on a beach landing on my feet while I see Percy with his head stuck in the sand and Annabeth was spitting sand.I helped Percy get his head up and I say,

"Well at least you didn't throw up Selena did the first time I shadow traveled her to her cabin so she could get to a date on time."

Percy says,"Check again."

I look in the hole and see he did,I cover it up and say,"Now where is Ares?"

Annabeth asks,"Can we please stay at a hotel and sleep for half of the day,I'm sleepy?"

I say,"Sure I guess we have time."

I stomp on the ground and $100 appears on the ground I pick it up and we go to a hotel and check in for the day,we go to the room and lay in the beds asleep.

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**Next chapter ends it,sorry I couldn't make it a big journey but Theseus is just that good but from the sea of monsters to the labyrinth his shadow travel won't help so it will take a while for the journeys to end,please review if you be an ass I will just ignore you.**


	5. Fighting Ares and returning the items

**I'm putting up a poll on if I should do the Heroes of Olympus series too,which I might not get to finish completely until the blood of Olympus comes out which I might be at that point by the time that happens.**

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ch.4 Fighting Ares and saving the world from an angry Hades

I wake up and look at the clock it says,1:00 pm June 21,I jump up and wake up Percy and Annabeth,"We over slept it's the solstice!"

They get up and we run to the beach again and we find Ares' motorcycle,"Where is he?"

A voice that causes great anger inside me says,"Right behind you son of Hades."

I quickly turn around and see him snap his fingers before my hands become tied behind my back,my mouth covered by duct tape,and Ares standing over me and Annabeth Percy had moved away breaking the concentration on himself and remaining able to fight Ares says,

"Well,duct tape really can fix anything,now if you promise to behave I'll get rid of it."

I glare at him but nod,he snaps his fingers again and the duct tape disappears,he and Percy stat to fight and Annabeth and I talk about the cover story for this if something big happens.I say,

"So the story is Ares 'kidnapped' us for ransom,because our mother is a wealthy architect in New York and Percy got free and attacked the 'kidnapper' and we'll improve from there."

she nods and we look as the police arrive one gets a microphone and says,"Put the guns down!"

Me and Annabeth look at each other and we watch as Ares makes the police cars explode,The police come over to us and free us from the opes that Ares has tied our hands with and pull us away I ask one of them to grab the backpack on the handle of the motorcycle and say,

"It's our stuff,my sister's extra clothes,my money,and a will answer your questions soon sir."

They nod and hand me the backpack while we grab the est of our stuff and when we tun back Ares is gone and Percy puts tsunami away and comes over the cop asks,

"Now kid what was going on here?"

I say,"Well sir,I'm Theseus,this is my sister,Annabeth and my brother Percy,our mother is a wealthy architect in New York,that man held us for ransom,Percy got free and grabbed one of the mans guns to fight him off and free us."

"What about your father?"he asks

I say,"Annabeth and Percy's father died overseas and my father is working on a movie in Hollywood."

He nods,"Now,let's see only 3 dollars,we'll raise money for you to get home."

We nod and act like we're sad,me and Annabeth are called to talk to the press Annabeth walks over with me behind her acting like I'm scared and hide behind Annabeth a reporter asks,

"Miss could you tell us what happened?"

She nods,"You see me,my twin Percy,and our younger brother,Theseus were going to our mom's workplace to help her and the man kidnapped us and brought us here sending emails to our mom about ransom,Percy got free and grabbed one of the man's guns and fought back trying to beat the guy to save us and he set explosives and blew up the cop cars and blew himself up,my brother here has been traumatized by this and we need to get him home and let him rest but we don't have enough money for transportation."

Annabeth gives me a gentle push towards Percy and I walk over to him and I start telling him the plan,Annabeth soon comes over with a hat full of money and says,

"Enough for 4 first class tickets to New York,I'll split up the money for the fourth and you will give it to the police officers,kay Thece?"

I nod and take the money and walk over I act shy and say,"Sir,we have more than enough so my siblings and I decided to give you and the other police officers here the rest of the money for your help."

They officers thank me and take the money and they get us to the airport and on the plane me and Annabeth quietly read while Percy plays with his watch.I sigh and say,

"I hope Zeus is in a good mood or we are dead."

Percy nods,"Thece,how can you read and I can't."

I say,"Because I have leaned to adapt to the dyslexia and learn the words meaning in ancient Greek allowing me to read."

We soon land in New York and the police officers called ahead and got us escorts to the empire state building,we walk in and say,"We have an appointment with Zeus."

He looks me in the eyes and says,"Son of Hades,go ahead."

He gives me a card and we walk into the elevator and put the card in and a 600 button magically appears and I press it we ride up and when it stops we walk out and I ignore the scenery as to not get distracted and walk up to the throne room to see the twelve Olympians,my father,and Hestia in the room I walk over and bow to Hades and Hestia then I walk over and bow to Athena and Poseidon,Percy bows to Hestia,Hades,Athena,and Poseidon Annabeth bows to Zeus then Athena,

Zeus asks,"Boys,why did you not bow to me,I'm the king of Olympus?"

I say,"Well one,you've tried to kill us,two you have accused Poseidon and Hades of things when Ares is the real thief here,and three I'll start bowing to you when you earn my respect,my father and mother here,plus Hestia and Poseidon have earned my respect,and of course Lady Hera has my respect for having to deal with you and Lady Artemis has my respect for reasons I'll keep to myself,and Lords Hephaestus,Apollo,and Hermes have my respect for their children being kind to me when I have always blown them off,you Zeus I have no respect for."

Artemis asks,"Why do you respect me,Theseus?"

I say,"Since it pertains to you,I have respect for you,because you are the leader of a group full of girls that are either heat broken or joined to not have to deal with mortals that are womanizers like Zeus,that in it's own earns my respect,everyone here except Zeus has earned my respect."

Zeus' face turns a dark shade of red from anger,"I should blast you on the spot!"

I throw my dad his helm and set the lightning bold down,Zeus picks it up and points it at me Hades,Hera,Hestia,Athena,Poseidon,and Artemis get in the way Artemis says,

"This boy could be the savior of Olympus and if you kill him,you doom Olympus and in Hades' case your daughter's pine tree."

Zeus widens his eyes at the last part and puts the bolt down.

We then leave as we are dismissed and go back to camp half-blood when we get back they throw a huge party Malcom calls me to the side and we talk I tell him what happened and he asks some questions before saying,

"I'm leaving Thece."

I ask,"To where?"

He says,"Well,Kronos of course."

I jump up and he pulls put a syringe and quickly injects me with it and I slowly fall ,this was too easy I should have had my guard up.I wake up in the infirmary and I get up to see Percy,Nico,Bianca,and Annabeth.I get up and tell them what happened before Annabeth says,

"Get some rest."

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**The lightning thief is over so I'll next go to the sea of monsters,please review but don't be and ass.**


	6. the quest for the fleece

**The poll is now up.**

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ch.5 The quest for the fleece

I'm walking up the hill with a cyclops son of Poseidon with me and my talk with Poseidon still fresh in my mind.

**flashback**

_Poseidon sighs,"Theseus,I have a son that I want to watch over Percy,he's right over there."_

_He points to a tall guy wearing sunglasses I sarcastically ____say_,"A cyclops,that's a really good choice."

_He sighs,"You're right but it's all I've got."_

_I say,"I don't trust it but okay."_

**Flashback end**

I look as the Colchis bulls attacking and I say,"Thank the gods I have Medea's SPF 50,000."

I quickly apply it and run at the bull bringing my sword,Mortem,out The black blade slices the horn off and Tyson runs at it only to be stopped by what's left of the barrier I walk over and say,"I Theseus Jackson son of Hades allow you entry."

He then runs at the bull and starts beating it's head in.I see the other one attacking a border patrol led by Percy he yells,"Form up!"

They get in position and start attacking,the bull gets ready to burn them and I throw Mortem at the bull and it goes straight through impaling in a tree I bring out my bow and quiver.I shoot one blue tipped arrow Poseidon gave me on my birthday and on impact it bursts and water covers the bull putting out the fie Percy smiles and makes the water that's left inside the bull to turn to ice and stick out as spikes,I shoot an arrow and run in font of the mouth shooting an arrow inside and I yell,

"Duck in cover!"

Everyone gets down as the bull explodes and parts go everywhere I yell,"Get the Hephaestus cabin out here and help them with the parts maybe we can use them for defenses and someone get Hercules we are going to need him to discuss the activities for today we need something new."

I walk up to the big house and walk in I ask,"Hey Hercules can I go to Olympus,I need to talk to Zeus?"

He says,"Sure man,tell my dad I want a raise."

I nod and shadow travel to Olympus I run up to the throne room doors and knock I hear Zeus' voice boom,"Come in."

I walk in and bow to all the gods in the room except Zeus,which he is used to.I say,"Me and the rest of the Athena cabin have studied the poison and more importantly the tree itself as we all know the tree used to be Thalia Grace,daughter of Zeus and it is poisoned we have found out that the golden fleece might change this it may be able to heal the tree,this last part will be good for you Zeus,it may bring Thalia back."

Zeus asks,"Is it possible Theseus?"

I nod and pull out some paper and hand it to him it details the hologram experiments and Athena's saying it's possible Zeus smiles and hands me a paper,

"You are to give this to Hercules when you are ready to go on the quest,oh and Hades left you something on you bunk at camp."

I nod and Shadow travel out and into the cabin scaring Annabeth who was fixing my bed she yells,"Theseus Jackson I will kill you!"

I jump up and run away I soon find Percy and hide behind him as Annabeth runs past I say,"(Panting)Gods of Olympus,Annabeth scares me when she's angry."

Percy laughs,"Wait til you learn that the Aphrodite girls are after you."

I smile nervously,"No more pranks on them."

I then run off and get the box Hades left on my bunk when I open it to find a pocket knife made of a silver metal I look on the note it reads,

Dear Theseus

This knife is made from the metals of the river Acheron,Achronian the small blade is mortal steel for your own safety.

your father,Hades

I pack my stuff and Annabeth comes in,"Why are you packing?"

I smile,"I've got the quest we've been working on for weeks,and I'll need you and Percy,I'm going to the sea of monsters,the Bermuda triangle."

She looks at me and says,"Well I'll go tell Percy."

I walk up to the big house and go in I say,"Hercules."

He walks up and I hand him the authorization of the quest and he says,"You leave tomorrow,go get the prophecy from the oracle."

I nod and go to the attic and I ask,"I need a prophecy to find the golden fleece."

Green smoke comes from the oracle's mouth and it says,

"_You shall sail the wooden ship with warriors of bone,_

_You shall find what you seek and bring it home,_

_But despair for your time is short,_

_And fail without forgiveness,to fly home alone."_

I walk back down shaken but very much sane,I walk back to the cabin and lay down in my bed going to sleep quickly.

**July 31,1:00 pm**

I get up and take a shower,get dressed,and get all my weapons up,I grab my helm of shadows,a weaker helm of darkness,I smile and put it in my pack.I step outside and up the hill Percy and Annabeth running over,I smile,"the farthest I can get us is Olympus after that Posiedon will give us a boat and he'll send us to the boat in Florida,it may be a pirate ship but between Percy's powers over boats and my power over the dead we could get to Polyphemus' island and back to Florida by the day the tree is supposed to die but I'll shadow travel the Fleece back by the time we get to Florida."

They nod and we shadow travel to Olympus and Poseidon's palace,Percy walks up to Poseidon and asks,"Dad we need a boat and for you to transport us to Florida,then we're on our own."

He nods and snaps his fingers and seconds later we are on a The Argo I smile,"I have to say Poseidon gave us the coolest one."

I stop on the wood and several spirits ,Jason,Perseus,and Peter Love a son of Hades favored by Poseidon.I smile and say,"Your jobes are simple we need you to give Percy advice while he steers the ship."

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**Next chapter we will start the quest at full speed.**


	7. Theseus falls in love

**The chapter title will be explained at the if you've read the book and look at the pairing,either way.  
**

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ch.6 Theseus falls in love

Sailing is Boring.

Percy is using his powers and the boat is moving seemingly on its own.I sit back with Annabeth and I say,"Annabeth,I know you want to hear the sirens."

She nods,"I want to be wiser."

I sigh,"Which you can do by studying and experimenting."

She looks at me,"Yeah,during the year have you noticed my many disappearances."

she nods I say,"Well,that's me and Athena trying to find more books for camp's library."

She looks at me when the I say the last thing,"You want to be wiser."

she nods I say,"We are not going to listen to those songs."

We sail on and I feel tons of monsters ahead and I say,"We're getting close to the sea of monsters,Percy go to the left we can go through Scylla's part of the opening and I can use my powers to mess with her brain."

They nod and Percy tuns the ship slightly to the left.I smile as we sail at a quick pace I smile and say,"Perce,can this thing go any faster,I'd shadow travel but there's a chance I'll fall in the water and Perce you've noticed I hate water,I'm scared of heights too,I'm especially afraid of Persephone,as Nico may have noticed,I'd rather fight a titan than be a flower."

Percy laughs and Annabeth giggles,I say,"Well you two might want to look ahead of us."

They look to see a giant whirlpool.I say,"Scylla and Charybdis,to the left,go to the left."

He turns the ship and we go under Scylla's cave,her green arms try to gab us but I use my power over monsters and confuse he by telling he do to things then saying something else we get by only for a familiar voice to say,

"Sayonara."

He drops a green vial and it beeps I yell,"Abandon ship!"

We jump off and I make a boat out of shadows Percy pointing towards Polyphemus' cave I frown and remember why Grover and Tyson didn't come,Grover is searching for Pan in California and Tyson was asked to help Hephaestus on a project.I look as we get close to the sirens I say,

"Earplugs in."

We put our wax earplugs in and slowly pass the island I smile,"Perce remember that thermos of winds Hermes gave you for you 9th birthday?"

He nod and pulls it out unscrewing the cap and pointing it behind us blasting the air out and propelling us forward and Perce makes Ice cove the outline of our boat and says,

"Get some rest,Thece,you'll need it after all you've spent a lot of energy,we've been sailing for 2 days and you're done most of the things that take energy controlling a boat takes no energy at all,but you've summoned ghosts,making the shadow boat,messing with Scylla's mind,and you've been refilling my energy with yours when I needed it to keep myself from falling asleep you are tired,and I don't count as your older brother anymore since Hestia is my mom though adoption as in we have different moms,but we are still blood bothers."

I nod and go to sleep.

**August,1,1:00 am**

I look at Percy asleep the ice boat lurches more and I see Percy stuck the thermos in position.I smile and make a bit of black fire in my hand I throw it at a shark that passes by and it turns into ash I look up when Percy and Annabeth awaken and I say,

"We're here and the cyclops is with the fleece and man eating goats,Annabeth you distract Polyphemus,Percy you distract the sheep,I'll grab the fleece and get on our boat."

Percy asks,"Why can't I fight the cyclops?"

I look at him,"You are the only one here with food powers."

He nods and Annabeth puts on her invisibility cap while her and Percy go do their jobs I quickly grab the fleece and smile as I set it down across the bridge and I run over to Annabeth as the cyclops finds her and her invisibility cap is off and on the ground,I grab it and say,"Hey ugly put my sister down."

I summon 500 skeletons and he gently puts Annabeth down and attacks the skeletons I help Annabeth across the bridge and go after Polyphemus,he says,

"Foolish son of Hades,I'm a son of Poseidon the strongest of the big three."

I smile,"You forget,Hades is the smartest and the strongest in power,Poseidon is strength and I know he himself told me that in a fight Hades would win because of his brain."

I feel out tons of rubies,diamonds,and other riches and create a tomb for Polyphemus I then make the inside spiky and golden dust comes through the and Percy jump off getting across the bridge and down the rocky cliff,we look to see the ice boat gone and I promptly faint from energy loss.

**August 1,12:00 pm**

I wake up and say,"Worst birthday ever."

Percy smiles,"Thece shadow travel to camp we'll get back with one of the rubies that I grabbed before we left."

I nod and grab the fleece,I think about camp half blood and run into the nearest I reappear I'm standing on M.D's head I look down then jump off,

"Sorry I meant to appear on the steps."

He says,"My birthday present to you is not killing you."

I smile and run off to the tree,not wasting a second I quickly arrive and put the fleece on the tree the needles stick up and and I walk off.

**August 1,1:00 pm**

I run as one of my cabin mates woke me up to see this,we ran up and I pushed though the crowd to see a girl with short piky black hair, electric blue eyes and is wearing punk style clothes my first thought is,_Gods of Olympus she's hot and now I'm 12,by my estimate she's 14 so she is not too much older._I walk up blushing and hold out my hand,

"I'm Theseus Jackson,son of Hades."

She blushes at me and says,"I'm Thalia,daughter of Zeus."

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**And I end it there to start the titans curse on I did the hold book in two chapters again,although each of the chapters are 1,000 words or more each time so that factors into review.**


	8. We meet Lady Artemis

**I am telling you right now Thalia won't become a hunter,she is not the child of the prophecy,you'll find out,and I just thought of something real funny when I get to the Sphinx in the battle of the labyrinth,it will be a major Thalia/Theseus you may have noticed I'm switching out Nico and Bianca with two OCs.  
**

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Ch.7 we meet Lady Artemis

Riding in the camp van which we borrowed to the place where our friend Grover found two powerful stop the van and I quickly get out and we all walk to the huge school after everyone is out,walking in I step beside Thalia and grab her hand,we've been dating for 2 months, we walk inside the building and I ignore everything save Thalia and my own move to go find Grover when two adults walk up and say,

"who are you?"

I say"We should bend the mist now I've read about schools like this they don't like visitors."

Thalia kisses my cheek and says,"You Athenians come in handy,now I don't have to get yelled at."

She stomps on the ground and snaps he fingers and I see the wind blowing around her,she says,"We're some new students that just got here,I'm Thalia,this is Percy Jackson,Theseus Jackson,and my sister Annabeth Chase."

I look at he knowing how she hates her last name I smile and Grover runs up,"Hey guys you made it."

the old lady says," ,please take these new students to the gym."

He nods and says,"Yes ma'am"

We walk with him and I start melting into the shadows,not noticing I say,"Hey,Grover,who are these two demigods you found?"

He jumps in fear says,"One is a daughter of Poseidon named Andromeda Canis,the Li-Anne Roster daughter of Ares and don't do that you scared the shit out of me,(grumbles)sons of Hades."

I glare at him,"What was that satyr?"

He gulps,"Nothing."

Okay he's Percy,Thalia,and Annabeth's friend,not mine,I do try it's just he's a treehugger and I like death we don't click,now back to it,We walk down the hall and into a gym.

In the gym I look around the and there were black and red balloons all over the gym floor, and guys were kicking them in each others faces, or trying to strangle each other with the crepe-paper streamers taped to the walls. Girls moved around in football huddles, the way they always do, wearing lots of makeup and spaghetti-strap tops and brightly colored pants and shoes that looked like torture devices. Every once in a while they'd surround some poor guy like a pack of piranhas, shrieking and giggling, and when they finally moved on, the guy would have ribbons in his hair and a bunch of lipstick graffiti all over his face.

"There they are." Grover nodded toward a couple of younger kids arguing in the bleachers.

One girl looks like Percy with messy black hair,she has a purple stripe on the hair in font of her face and sea-green eyes about 5'5" with a slim build and slim muscles,the other has Auburn hair with pink and purple tips,chocolate brown eyes,about 5'6" with a slim build with lean muscles.

Annabeth said, "Do they… I mean, have you told them?"

Grover shook his head. "You know how it is. That could put them in more danger. Once they realize who they are, their scent becomes stronger."

"So let's grab them and get out of here," Percy says.

Percy started forward, but Thalia put her hand on his shoulder. The vice principal, Dr.

Thorn, had slipped out of a doorway near the bleachers and was standing near the di Angelo siblings. He nodded coldly in our direction. His blue eye seemed to glow.

Judging from his expression, I guessed Thorn hadn't been fooled by Thalia's trick with the Mist after all. He suspected who we were. He was just waiting to see why we were here.

"Don't look at the kids," Thalia ordered. "We have to wait for a chance to get them. We need to pretend we're not interested in them. Throw him off the scent."

"How?"

"We're three powerful half-bloods. Our presence should confuse him. Mingle. Act natural. Do some dancing. But keep an eye on those kids."

"Dancing?" Annabeth asked.

Thalia nodded. She cocked her ear to the music and made a face. "Ugh. Who chose the Jesse McCartney?"

Grover looked hurt. "I did."

"Oh my gods, Grover. That is so lame."

I look at Thalia say,"Why not something like Green day or Linkin Park?"

He asks,"Green who?"

Thalia says,"Never mind. Let's dance."

Grover says,"But I can't dance!"

I look at him,"Then go over there and talk to those guys,I'm gonna dance with my girlfriend."

I whisper to Percy,"Ask Annabeth to dance,go on Romeo."

I walk off with Thalia and we start to slow dance.I ask,"So Thalia,what do you think about Percy,battle wise?"

She smiles,"Besides you,he'd be one of the best to be by my back you and me,sky and earth,me and Percy,sky and sea,great combinations."

I look back at the kids,"The kids they're gone."

We both run after them I see taking Percy and the two kids to a cliff,I start running Thalia in seconds is a mile behind me,the shadows giving me an extra push I run up and kick ,I say,

"Get away from my brother you bitch with a scorpion tail."

He growls and throws spikes at me I jump up and gab one throwing it back at him I yell,"Either you go or I'll summon all the worst monsters from Tartarus to kill you,you don't mess with my family."

I hear Thalia yell,"Thece,stop,calm down!"

I look around and see the earth shaking and the snow melting and the grass dieing(1).I step back surprised and suddenly something shot past me like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder. He staggered backward, wailing in agony. "Curse you!" Thorn cried.

He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in midair and sliced them in two, but my eyes must've been playing tricks on me. No one, not even Apollo's kids at camp, could shoot with that much accuracy. The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was the archers came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe ten. The oldest, about fourteen, like me.

They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows.

They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.

"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried.

Next to me, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."

I didn't have a chance to ask what she meant. One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess.

"Permission to kill, my lady?" I couldn't tell who she was talking to, because she kept her eyes on the manticore. The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."

"Not so," another girl said.

This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. Her face was so beautiful it made me catch my breath, but her expression was stern and dangerous.

"The hunting of al wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted." The manticore growled.

"If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!" He lunged at Thalia and me, knowing we were weak and dazed.

"No!'" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster.

"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said.

"Get out of the line of fire!"

But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life.

"Fire!" Zoe ordered.

"No!"Percy and I screamed. But the Hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit his chest. The manticore staggered backward, wailing,

"This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!" And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness.

"Annabeth!" I yelled. I started to run after her, but our enemies weren't done with us. There was a snap-snap-snap from the helicopter—the sound of gunfire.

Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with auburn hair just looked up calmly at the helicopter.

"Mortals," she announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."

She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust—no, not dust. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds—ravens, which scattered into the night.

The Hunters advanced on us. The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw Thalia.

"You," she said with distaste. "Zoe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger.

"Perfect timing, as usual." Zoe scanned the rest of us.

"Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."

"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled. "You have to let us save her!"

The auburn-haired girl turned toward me. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."

I tried to struggle to my feet, but a couple of the girls held me down. "You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said.

"Let me go!" I demanded. "Who do you think you are?" Zoe stepped forward as if to smack me.

"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoe. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."

I walk up and bow to the auburn-haired girl and I say,"Hello lady Artemis,I see you've hunted,how has your hunts been,if I may ask?"

She smiles,"The hunt has been well,thanks for asking you are far more polite than your brother thanks for the nice words every time we met on Olympus."

Grover gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so… you're so… Wow!"

"Get up, goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

"Whoa,"Andromeda says. "Hold up. Time out."

Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of us in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who… who are you people?"

Artemis's expression softened."It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you!Who are your parents?"

Andromeda glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis.

Our parents are dead," Andromeda says. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but…"

She faltered. I guess she could tell from our faces that we didn't believe her.

"What?" she demanded. "I'm telling the truth."

"You are a half-blood," Zoe Nightshade said. Her accent was hard to place. It sounded old-fashioned, like she was reading from a really old book. "One of thy parents was mortal.

The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympian… athlete?"

"No," Zoe said. "One of the gods."

"Cool!" said Li-Anne.

"No!"Andromeda's voice quavered. "This is not cool!"

Li-Anne danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that destroy everything—" "Li-Anna, shut up!" Andromeda put her hands to her face. "There are no gods!"

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**My longest chapter so far Li Anne was created by taylorluvsPJO to replace Bianca who got to camp half-blood with Nico instead of review.**

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**Explanations**

** death powers were killing the hydrogen cells in the snow enough to make it water vapor.**


	9. The hunt's camp

ch.8 the hunt's camp

Thalia says, "Andromeda, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well… Our lives are dangerous."

"Dangerous," she says, "like the girl who fell."

Thalia turned away. Even Artemis looked pained.

"Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."

"Then why won't you let us go look for her?"Percy asked.

"She is gone. Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."

Oo!" Li-Anne raised her hand. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"

"He was a manticore," Artemis said. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

"Or they'll hunt us"Thalia says The two say,"That explains a lot."

"That's why Grover has been watching you," I say. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" Andromeda stared at him. "You're a demigod?"

"Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes and displayed his goat hooves. I thought Andromeda was going to faint right there. "Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said. "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!"

"Andromeda," Percy says, "we came here to help you. You and Li-Anne need training to survive. Dr.

Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" she asked.

"Camp Half-Blood," I inform her. "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."

"Sweet, let's go!" says Andromeda.

"Wait," Li-Anne shook her head. "I don't—"

"There is another option," Zoe says.

"No, there isn't!" Thalia says.

Thalia and Zoe glared at each other. I didn't know what they were talking about, but I could tell there was bad history between them. For some reason, they seriously hated each other.

"We've burdened these children enough," Artemis announced. "Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

"Yes, my lady."

"And Li-Anne, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

"What about me?" Andromeda asked.

Artemis replies. "Perhaps Thalia can tell you about the gods. I'm sure she would be happy to entertain you for a while… as a part of her mission."

"Of course."Thalia says walking off with Andromeda to tell her about herself

Artemis led a confused-looking Li-Anne along the cliff. The Hunters began unpacking their knapsacks and making camp.

Zoe gave Thalia one more evil look, then left to oversee things.I pick up Annabeth's Yankees cap and handing it to Percy,before walking off with the hunters glaring at Percy and looking at me nicely when I politely say hello to them with a small bow in glaring at me for not getting glared at.

one of the Hunters brought me my backpack and Andromeda walks up to me.

she asks,"Can you tell me about Percy?"

I smile,"He's a great guy,when we were younger he'd protect me but since we found out we were demigods I've been training and am now way more skilled than Percy."

She asks,"Thalia said that his mother died but he has a mom,what about that?"

I say,"well when me and him were babies we were blessed by two goddesses,Percy by Hestia and me by Athena thus my name Theseus,to symbolize that Athena is my godmother/adoptive mother and that Poseidon is okay with my dad having a son with the one they both loved."

Zoe and Percy walk over and she says,"Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee,Theseus."

The inside of the tent was warm and comfortable. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor. In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns. The walls were hung with animal pelts: black bear, tiger, and several others I didn't recognize. I figured an animal rights activist would've had a heart attack looking at all those rare skins, but maybe since Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, she could replenish whatever she shot. I thought she had another animal pelt lying next to her, and then I realized it was a live animal—a deer with glittering fur and silver horns, its head resting contentedly in Artemis's lap.

She says,"Thesues ask what you want to ask."

I kneel and say,"Milady,can I ask for your blessing,with your blessing I can make my power stronger."

She asks,"Yes but,why do you ask?"

I say,"Well if a son of Hades and I'm adopted by Athena,then if you add your blessing I'll be able to protect my brother and sister better,if I have the powers of you,mom,and dad,I can do almost anything,I want to protect my family and home."

She looks at me,"And your girlfriend,Thalia Grace?"

I say,"I'd protect her with the cost of my life and soul."**(A/N:That would be a great end,but I make my chapters 1,000 words or more.)**

She smiles,"You have gained my favor."

She touches my forehead,"I Artemis goddess of the moon,maidens and hunting hereby bless you Theseus Jackson,may you protect women,be stronger under the moon,be better with a bow,and have stealth of one of my huntresses."

I smile and say,"I will leave you to talk now milady."

I walk out smiling and covered in a silver aura that disappears under my black one.

I walk over to Thalia who grabs me and pulls me into a kiss Grover coughs and says,"Get a room."

I glare at him and he says,"Sorry."

Thalia smiles,"Well Artemis didn't kill you."

I smile,"I actually got a blessing from her,how about I use it to protect you?"

She laughs,"As long as I can fight,I agree,now where were we?"

I smile and kiss her then I jump back and grab my backpack,"Andromeda,you may need this."

I throw her a bobby pin and say,"I always carry it around for lock picking or fighting monsters,but you need it."

she presses it together and in seconds is holding a 3 foot long glowing blue asks,"What's the blue?"

I reply,"My last birthday present from Hephaestus,the gods give me and Percy presents on our birthdays out of respect of Hestia and Poseidon for Percy and respect of Athena for me."


	10. we meet Apollo

ch.9 we meet Apollo

We sit on the hill waiting for was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth.

"Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."

Parks? I averted my eyes, and saw that the other kids were doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until my winter coat felt like it was melting off of me. Then suddenly the light died.

I looked. And I couldn't believe it. It was a red convertible Maserati Spyder. It was so awesome it glowed. Then I realized it was glowing because the metal was hot. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, which explained why I was now standing on green grass and my shoes were wet.

The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and for a second, I had the uneasy feeling it was Luke. This guy had the same sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. But it wasn't Luke. This guy was taller, with no scar on his face like Luke's. His smile was brighter and more playful. (Luke didn't do much more than scowl and sneer these days.) The Maserati driver wore jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.

"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."

I glare at her.

"He's the sun god," Percy says.

I roll my eyes,_Percy's so dense_

"That's not what I meant."

"Little sister!" Apollo called. If his teeth were any whiter he could've blinded us without the sun car. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."

"Hey, I was born first."

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"

"So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?" Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned. Apparently they'd met Apollo before.

He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.

"Green grass breaks through snow.

Artemis pleads for my help.

I am so cool."

He grinned at us, waiting for applause.

"That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

"Yes. What about I am so big-headed?"

"No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself.

Zoe Nightshade turned to us. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, There once was a goddess from Sparta—"

"I've got it!" Apollo announced. "I am so awesome. That's five syllables!" He bowed, looking very pleased with himself.

"And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis says, pointing to us. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"No problem!" Apollo checked us out. "Let's see… Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—" "Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going."

"Oh, right." Then he looked at me and Percy, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy and Theseus Jackson?"

Percy says,"Yeah. I mean… yes, sir."

I say,"What's up Apollo"

Apollo studied me, but he didn't say anything, which I found a little creepy.

"Well!" he says at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."

I looked at the Maserati, which would seat two people max. There were about twenty of us.

"Cool car," Andromeda says.

"Thanks, kid," Apollo says.

"But how will we all fit?"

"Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose…"

He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. Chirp, chirp.

For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses like we used for school basketball games.

"Right," he says. "Everybody in."

Zoe ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo says, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."

Zoe recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.

"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."

Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis says. "It's none of your business."

"I'll find out. I see all. Know all."

Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!" "No, no! I never mess around."

Artemis rolled her eyes, then looked at us. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoe, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

Zoe straightened. "Yes, my lady."

Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found."

She sprinted toward the woods and melted into the snow and shadows.

Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger. "So," he says. "Who wants to drive?"

The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far away as possible from Apollo and the rest of us highly infectious males, Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to hang in the front with us, which seemed cold to me, but Nico didn't seem to mind.

"This is so cool!"Andromeda says, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

"Downsizing," Apollo says. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" Andromeda asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo chuckled and ruffled her hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun… er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

she shook his head. "No."

"Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."

"Can I drive?"

"No. Too young." "Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand.

"Mm, no," Apollo says. "Too furry." He looked past me and focused on Thalia.

"Daughter of Zeus!" he says. "Lord of the sky. Perfect."

"Oh, no." Thalia shook her head. "No, thanks."

"C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?"

Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."


	11. We ride to camp

ch.10 we ride to camp

It was sad, but true. She'd been turned into a tree when she was twelve, but that had been seven years ago. So she should be nineteen, if you went by years. But she still felt like she was twelve, and if you looked at her, she seemed somewhere in between. The best Chiron could figure, she had kept aging while in tree form, but much more slowly.

Apollo tapped his finger to his lips. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."

"How do you know that?"

"Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week."

"That's my birthday! December twenty-second."

"Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!"

Thalia shifted her feet nervously. "Uh—"

"I know what you're going to say," Apollo says. "You don't deserve an honor like driving the sun chariot."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blast you out of the sky."

Apollo laughed good-naturedly. The rest of us didn't join him.

Thalia tried to protest, but Apollo was absolutely not going to take "no" for an answer.

He hit a button on the dashboard, and a sign popped up along the top of the windshield. I had to read it backward (which, for a dyslexic, really isn't that different than reading forward). I was pretty sure it said WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER.

"Take it away!" Apollo told Thalia. "You're gonna be a natural!"

I'll admit I was jealous. I couldn't wait to start driving. A couple of times that fall, my mom had taken me out to Montauk when the beach road was empty, and she'd let me try out her Mazda. I mean, yeah, that was a Japanese compact, and this was the sun chariot, but how different could it be? "Speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."

Thalia gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. She looked like she was going to be sick.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing," she says shakily. "N-nothing is wrong."

She pulled back on the wheel. It tilted, and the bus lurched upward so fast I fell back and crashed against something soft.

"Ow" Grover says.

"Sorry."

"Slower!" Apollo says

"Sorry!" Thalia says. "I've got it under control!"

I managed to get to my feet. Looking out the window, I saw a smoking ring of trees from the clearing where we'd taken off.

"Thalia," Percy says, "lighten up on the accelerator."

"I've got it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.

"Loosen up," I told her.

"I'm loose!"Thalia says. She was so stiff she looked like she was made out of plywood.

"We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo says. "Hang a left."

Thalia jerked the wheel and again threw me into Grover, who yelped.

"The other left," Apollo suggested.

I made the mistake of looking out the window again. We were at airplane height now—

so high the sky was starting to look black.

"Ah…" Apollo says, and I got the feeling he was forcing himself to sound calm. "A little lower, sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over." Thalia tilted the wheel. Her face was chalk white, her forehead beaded with sweat.

Something was definitely wrong. I'd never seen her like this.

The bus pitched down and somebody screamed. Maybe it was me. Now we were heading straight toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to our right. And it was getting hot in the bus.

Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up the rows of seats.

"Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.

"No worries," Apollo says. He looked plenty worried. "She just has to learn to—

WHOA!"

I saw what he was seeing. Down below us was a little snow-covered New England town. At least, it used to be snow-covered. As I watched, the snow melted off the trees and the roofs and the lawns. The white steeple on a church turned brown and started to smolder.

Little plumes of smoke, like birthday candles, were popping up all over the town. Trees and rooftops were catching fire.

"Pull up!" Percy yells.

There was a wild light in Thalia's eyes. She yanked back on the wheel, and I held on this time. As we zoomed up, I could see through the back window that the fires in the town were being snuffed out by the sudden blast of cold.

"There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead. Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expression."

Thalia was thundering toward the coastline of northern Long Island. There was Camp Half-Blood: the valley, the woods, the beach. I could see the dining pavilion and cabins and the amphitheater.

"I'm under control," Thalia muttered. "I'm under control."

We were only a few hundred yards away now.

"Brake," Apollo says.

"I can do this."

"BRAKE!"

Thalia slammed her foot on the brake, and the sun bus pitched forward at a forty-five-degree angle, slamming into the Camp Half-Blood canoe lake with a huge FLOOOOOOSH! Steam billowed up, sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half-woven wicker baskets.

The bus bobbed to the surface, along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes. "Well," says Apollo with a brave smile. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?"

We look at the camp smiling

"Whoa," Andromeda says as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

Percy says,"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met—"

"I know Chiron," Zoe says stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't"—he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking—"like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Zoe rolled her eyes, but I guess she figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Li-Anne was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in her brothers ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Andromeda just scowled and turned away.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters.

He winked at Percy. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."


	12. I storm off

Ch.11 I storm off

Andromeda asks Percy,"Who's Chiron?"

I say,"Our activities director,he's a centaur."

We walk into the big house to see Mr. D and Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor.

Chiron's brown beard was shaggier for the winter. His curly hair had grown a little longer. He wasn't posing as a teacher this year, so I guess he could afford to be casual. He wore a fuzzy sweater with a hoofprint design on it, and he had a blanket on his lap that almost hid his wheelchair completely.

He smiled when he saw us. "Percy! Thalia! Ah, and this must be—"

"Andromeda," I said. "she and her friend are half-bloods."

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."

"Well…"

His smile melted. "What's wrong? And where is Annabeth?"

"Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice, "Not another one lost." I'd been trying not to pay attention to Mr. D, but he was kind of hard to ignore in his neon orange leopard-skin warm-up suit and his purple running shoes. (Like Mr. D had ever run a day in his immortal life.) A golden laurel wreath was tilted sideways on his curly black hair, which must've meant he'd won the last hand of cards.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked. "Who else is lost?"

Just then, Grover trotted into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and red lines on his face that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!"

Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." He glanced at Andromeda. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film."

"But… Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" she asked.

"Yep," Grover says.

"Cool!" she happily followed him out of the room.

"Now," Chiron says to Thalia,Percy and I, "Perhaps you three should sit down and tell us the whole story."

When we were done, Chiron turned to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth immediately."

"I'll go," Thalia,Percy,and I said at the same time.

Mr. D sniffed. "Certainly not!"

Thalia and Percy both started complaining while I glare at Mr.D, but Mr. D held up his hand. He had that purplish angry fire in his eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if we didn't shut up.

"From what you have told me," Mr. D says, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah, regrettably lost Annie Bell—"

"Annabeth," I snapped. She'd gone to camp since she was seven, and still Mr. D pretended not to know her name.

"Yes, yes," he says. "And you procured a small girl to replace her. So I see no point risking further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great that this Annie girl is dead." I wanted to strangle Mr. D. It wasn't fair Zeus had sent him here to dry out as camp director for a hundred years. It was meant to be a punishment for Mr. D's bad behavior on Olympus, but it ended up being a punishment for all of us.

"Annabeth may be alive," Chiron says, but I could tell he was having trouble sounding upbeat. He'd practically raised Annabeth all those years she was a year-round camper, before she'd given living with her dad and step-mom a second try. "She's very bright. If… if our enemies have her, she will try to play for time. She may even pretend to cooperate."

"That's right," Thalia says. "Luke would want her alive."

"In which case" says Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape on her own."

Percy and I got up from the table.

"Percy." Chiron's tone was full of warning. In the back of my mind, I knew Mr. D was not somebody to mess with. Even if you were an impulsive ADHD kid like me, he wouldn't give you any slack. But I was so angry I didn't care.

"You're glad to lose another camper,"Percy said. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!"

Mr. D stifled a yawn. "You have a point?"

"Yeah," I growled. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be a lazy jerk! This is your civilization, too. Maybe you could try helping out a little!"

For a second, there was no sound except the crackle of the fire. The light reflected in Mr. D's eyes, giving him a sinister look. He opened his mouth to say something—probably a curse that would blast me to smithereens—when Andromeda burst into the room, followed by Grover.

"SO COOL!" she yelled

Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes,child, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."

"And, whoa!" she looked at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"

I interrupt,"Mr.D,I'm going after my sister with or without permission!"

Chiron looks at me and Mr.D glares at me and says,"I order you to stay here."

I yell,"You are not my dad,mom,Hestia,Poseidon,or Artemis,I only listen to them,so either say something useful or don't say anything!"

I storm out slamming the door so hard I bet even my dad could hear it in the underworld.I run into the forest and all the way to Zeus' fist before stopping.I hear footsteps quickly pulling out my sword and holding it against Anromeda's throat,I pull the blade away and return it to eyes the ring before saying,

"What was up with you yelling in there,Percy said you weren't ever that angry before,even when tried to kill Percy?"

I turn away and say,"Mr.D has insulted my family ever since I got here I was seven I'm thirteen now**(A/N:Yeah I forgot to mention that this is a year and a few months after the sea of monsters)**I'm not going anywhere near camp until I blow off some steam."

She nods,"A long time to be insulted."

I frown,"Well I keep my emotions bottled up so it is pretty easy,the reason I do so is because my powers are set off at major strength by anger and 3.2.1."

"Theseus Jackson,where are you,I'll kill you and your mount your ass above my fireplace!"I hear the voice of Zoe Nightshade yelling.

I curse and say,"Why do the fates hate me?"

I watch as the huntress attacks me and I say,"I'm sorry it was an accident I was mad at Mr.D and I just lost control of my emotions."

She look me in the eyes and says,"Then keep calm."

I sarcastically say,"Oh and that will be a walk in the park."

This hole time my anger evident in my tone I clench my fists and say,"I'd hurry,I don't want you to get hurt cause of this."

They nod and walk away just in time as I let lose my anger and suddenly the whole clearing was covered in black flames,shadows,undead things,and the earth was shaking.I growl and yell in anger before taking out my sword,Mortem and cutting everything

**December 17(A/N:I think that's the date),12:02 am**

I finally stop my rampage still having half my energy.I look around to see the entire clearing was destroyed trees cut in half,Zeus' fist was destroyed,there was a giant chasm not far away,and everything that's left was burning due to the black fire.I hear footsteps and point my blade only to see Zoe and put it down,she says,

"What the fuck,this is impossible,I can't believe this!"

I say,"Believe it or not if Percy tried this it would be minus the black fire and the rubble would be nothing but pebbles."

She looks at me and steps back a bit before saying,"I have been given a quest and due to goat boy getting a broken leg(I think,_whoops my fault_)I need another camper to bring I instantly chose you since Lady Artemis trusts you."

I nod,"Just give me a second to put the fire out."

I look at Zeus' fist and I say,"Sorry uncle."

I put the flames out and go to the camp van to see them waiting for me.

* * *

**How do you like that?Please review.**


	13. The Quest to save Artemis begins

**Sorry for any confusion,I've fixed it**

* * *

ch.12 the quest to save Artemis begins

I sat in the back of the van and continue to think,Thalia kept back knowing I wasn't as calm as I looked,she could practically see a tornado in my mind as thoughts drift around in my mind,

_Percy fighting the manticore and my death powers out of control in my anger._

_Annabeth falling off the cliff while on the manticore's back._

_Mr.D angering me._

_The destruction I caused out of pure anger._

_My dancing with Thalia._

_Me and her kissing._

and even childhood things before I noticed we'd stopped.I looked around and noticed everyone getting out I stepped out and saw the Smithsonian air and space I smile and walks through with the others and I say,

"Hey Zoe,what happened to Phoebe?"

She says,"Centaur blood in a T-shirt."

I say,"The Stolls are gonna get killed someday."

We continue to walk around and I start reading about exhibits while I walk past not doing much and while I'm looking I'm holding Thalia's hand and memorizing the exhibits until someone runs into Thalia and they fall back scrambling around an Apollo space capsule.I look and see it's Percy.

Grover yelped in surprise.

Before Percy could regain his balance, Zoe and Li-Anne had arrows notched, aimed at his chest. Their bows had just appeared out of nowhere.

When Zoe realized who he was, she didn't seem anxious to lower her bow. "You! How dare you show thy face here?"

Zoe glared at him, and he blushed. "I mean, um, gosh. You're not supposed to be here!"

"Luke," He said, trying to catch his breath. "He's here."

The anger in Thalia's eyes immediately melted. She put her hand on her silver bracelet.

"Where?"

he told us about what he saw Natural History Museum, Dr. Thorn, Luke, and the General.

"The General is here?" Zoe looked stunned. "That is impossible! You lie."

"Why would I lie? Look, there's no Skeleton warriors."

He says. "That guy, the General, he said he was sending something, a 'playmate,' to distract you over here. A monster."

Thalia and Iexchanged looks. "We were following Artemis's trail," I say. "I was pretty sure it led here. Some powerful monster scent… She must've stopped here looking for the mystery monster. But we haven't found anything yet."

"Zoe," Li-Anne nervously, "if it is the General—"

"It cannot be!" Zoe snapped. "Percy must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion."

"Illusions don't crack marble floors," he told her.

Zoe took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. I didn't know why she was taking it so personally, or how she knew this General guy, but I figured now wasn't the time to ask. "If Percy is telling the truth about the skeleton warriors," she said, "we have no time to argue.

They are the worst, the most horrible… We must leave now."

"Good idea," Percy said.

"I was not including thee, boy," Zoe said. "You are not part of this quest."

"Hey, I'm trying to save your lives!"

"You shouldn't have come, Percy," Thalia said grimly. "But you're here now. Come on.

Let's get back to the van."

"That is not thy decision!" Zoe snapped.

Thalia scowled at her. "You're not the boss here, Zoe. I don't care how old you are!You're still a conceited little brat!"

"You never had any wisdom when it came to boys," Zoe growled. "You never could leave them behind!"

Thalia looked like she was about to hit Zoe. Then everyone froze, I heard a growl so loud I thought one of the rocket engines was starting up.

Below us, a few adults screamed. A little kid's voice screeched with delight: "Kitty!"

Something enormous bounded up the ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur.

"The Nemean Lion," Thalia said. "Don't move."

The lion roared so loud it parted my hair. Its fangs gleamed like stainless steel.

"Separate on my mark," Zoe said. "Try to keep it distracted."

Percy uncapped Tsunami and rolled to the left. Arrows whistled past him.I turned and saw Zoe and Li-Anne climbing the Apollo capsule. They were firing arrows, one after another, all shattering harmlessly against the lions metallic fur,I soon joined them and stated shooting. The lion swiped the capsule and tipped it on its side, spilling the Hunters and me off the back. Grover played a frantic, horrible tune, and the lion turned toward him, but Thalia stepped into its path, holding up Aegis, and the lion recoiled. "ROOOAAAR!"

"Hi-yah!" Thalia said. "Back!"

The lion growled and clawed the air, but it retreated as if the shield were a blazing fire.

For a second, I thought Thalia had it under control. Then I saw the lion crouching, its leg muscles tensing. I'd seen enough cat fights in the alleys around my apartment in New York. I knew the lion was going to pounce.

"Hey!" Percy yelled. I don't know what he was thinking, but he charged the beast. I just wanted to get it away from my slashed with Tsunami, a good strike to the flank that should've cut the monster into Meow Mix, but the blade just clanged against its fur in a burst of sparks.

The lion raked Percy with its claws, ripping off a chunk of my backed against the railing. It sprang at him, one thousand pounds of monster, and he had no choice but to turn and jump.

He landed on the wing of an old-fashioned silver airplane, which pitched and almost spilled me to the floor, three stories below.

I start shooting again and my arrow whizzed past his head. The lion jumped onto the aircraft, and the cords holding the plane began to groan.

The lion swiped at Percy, and he dropped onto the next exhibit, a weird-looking spacecraft with blades like a helicopter. I looked up and saw the lion roar—inside its maw, a pink tongue and throat.

Its mouth, I thought. Its fur was completely invulnerable, but if he could strike it in the mouth… The only problem was, the monster moved too quickly. Between its claws and fangs,he couldn't get close without getting sliced to pieces.

"Zoe!" he shouted. "Target the mouth!"

The monster lunged. An arrow zipped past it, missing completely, and he dropped from the spaceship onto the top of a floor exhibit, a huge model of the slid down Russia and dropped off the equator.

The Nemean Lion growled and steadied itself on the spacecraft, but its weight was too much. One of the cords snapped. As the display swung down like a pendulum, the lion leaped off onto the model earth's North Pole.

"Theseus!" Percy yelled. "Clear the area!" Groups of kids were running around screaming.I tried to corral them away from the monster just as the other cord on the spaceship snapped and the exhibit crashed to the floor. Thalia dropped off the second-floor railing and landed across from me, on the other side of the globe. The lion regarded us both, trying to decide which of us to kill first.

Zoe and Li-Anne were above us, bows ready, but they kept having to move around to get a good angle.

"No clear shot!" Zoe yelled. "Get it to open its mouth more!"

The lion snarled from the top of the globe.

Percy looked around.

"Thalia," Percy said, "keep it occupied."

She nodded grimly.

"Hi-yah!" She pointed her spear and a spidery arc of blue electricity shot out, zapping the lion in the tail.

"ROOOOOOOAR!" The lion turned and pounced. Thalia rolled out of its way, holding up Aegis to keep the monster at bay, and Percy ran for the gift shop.

"This is no time for souvenirs, boy!" Zoe yelled.

Zoe and Li-Anne were still showering arrows on the monster, but it was no good. The lion seemed to know better than to open its mouth too much. It snapped at Thalia, slashing with its claws. It even kept its eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

Thalia jabbed at the monster and backed up. The lion pressed her.

"Percy," she called, "whatever you're going to do—"

The lion roared and swatted her like a cat toy, sending her flying into the side of a Titan rocket. Her head hit the metal and she slid to the floor.

"Hey!" Percy yelled at the was too far away to strike,instead he hurled Riptide like a throwing knife. It bounced off the lion's side, but that was enough to get the monster's attention. It turned toward Percy and snarled. There was only one way to get close charged, and as the lion leaped to intercept him,he chunked a space food pouch into its maw—a chunk of cellophane-wrapped, freeze-dried strawberry parfait.

The lion's eyes got wide and it gagged like a cat with a hairball.

I couldn't blame stuff was just plain nasty.

"Zoe, get ready!" Percy yelled.

Behind me, I could hear people screaming.

Percy scrambled away from the lion. It managed to choke down the space food packet and looked at Percy with pure hate.

"Snack time!" Percy yelled.

It made the mistake of roaring at Percy, and he threw a packet in its throat.

Before the lion could stop gagging, Percy threw two more packets at the lion.

The lion's eyes bugged. It opened its mouth wide and reared up on its back paws, trying to get away from Percy.

"Now!" Percy yelled.

Immediately, arrows pierced the lion's maw—two, four, six. The lion thrashed wildly, turned, and fell backward. And then it was still.

Alarms wailed throughout the museum. People were flocking to the exits. Security guards were running around in a panic with no idea what was going on.

Grover knelt at Thalia's side and helped her up. She seemed okay, just a little dazed.

Zoe and Li-Anne dropped from the balcony and landed next to me.

Zoe eyed Percy cautiously. "That was… an interesting strategy."

"Hey, it worked."

She didn't argue.

The lion seemed to be melting, the way dead monsters do sometimes, until there was nothing left but its glittering fur coat, and even that seemed to be shrinking to the size of a normal lion's pelt.

"Take it," Zoe told Percy.

He stared at her. "What, the lion's fur? Isn't that, like, an animal rights violation or something?"

"It is a spoil of war," she told him. "It is rightly thine."

"You killed it," Percy said.

She shook her head, almost smiling. "I think thy ice-cream sandwich did that. Fair is fair, Percy Jackson. Take the fur."

I lifted it up; it was surprisingly light. The fur was smooth and soft. It didn't feel at all like something that could stop a blade. As I watched, the pelt shifted and changed into a coat—a full-length golden-brown duster.

"Not exactly my style," Percy murmured.

"We need to leave."I say

"The security guards are not our biggest worry," Zoe said. "Look."

Through the glass walls of the museum, I could see a group of men walking across the lawn. Gray men in gray camouflage outfits. They were too far away for us to see their eyes, but I could feel their gaze aimed straight at me and Percy.

"Go," he said. "They'll be hunting me. I'll distract them."

"No," Zoe said. "We go together."

He stared at her. "But, you said—"

"You are part of this quest now," Zoe said grudgingly. "I do not like it, but there is no changing fate. You are the fifth quest member. And we are not leaving anyone behind."


	14. I get a Mustang

ch.13 I get a Mustang

We were crossing the Potomac when we spotted the helicopter. It was a sleek, black military model just like the one we'd seen at Westover Hall. And it was coming straight toward us.

"They know the van,"Percy says. "We have to ditch it."

Zoe swerved into the fast lane. The helicopter was gaining.

"Maybe the military will shoot it down," Li-anne says hopefully.

"The military probably thinks it's one of theirs," I say.

"How can the General use mortals, anyway?"Percy asked

"Mercenaries," Zoe says bitterly. "It is distasteful, but many mortals will fight for any cause as long as they are paid."

"But don't these mortals see who they're working for?" Percy asked. "Don't they notice all the monsters around them?"

Zoe shook her head. "I do not know how much they see through the Mist. I doubt it would matter to them if they knew the truth. Sometimes mortals can be more horrible than monsters."

The helicopter kept coming, making a lot better time than we were through D.C. traffic.

Thalia closed her eyes and prayed hard. "Hey, Dad. A lightning bolt would be nice about now. Please?"

I nod and do the same,"Come on dad we could use the furies right now."

Percy looks at me and says,"Is that the best idea Thece?"

I glare at him,"Who's the child of Athena and Hades here?"

He holds up his hands in defeat.

But the sky stayed gray and snowy. No sign of a helpful thunderstorm or a black winged monster.

"There!" Li-Anne says. "That parking lot!"

"We'll be trapped," Zoe says

"Might as well try," Bianca says.

Zoe shot across two lanes of traffic and into a mall parking lot on the south bank of the river. We left the van and followed Li-Anne down some steps.

"Subway entrance," Li-Anne said. "Let's go south. Alexandria."

"Anything," Thalia agreed. We bought tickets and got through the turnstiles, looking behind us for any signs of pursuit. A few minutes later we were safely aboard a southbound train, riding away from D.C.

As our train came above ground, we could see the helicopter circling the parking lot, but it didn't come after us.

Thalia let out a sigh. "Nice job, Li-Anne, thinking of the subway."

she says,"I just guessed."

"We need to change trains," I said. "Next station."

Over the next half hour, all we thought about was getting away safely. We changed trains twice. I had no idea where we were going, but after a while we lost the helicopter.

Unfortunately, when we finally got off the train we found ourselves at the end of the line, in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses and railway tracks. And snow. Lots of snow. It seemed much colder here. I was glad for my new lion's fur coat.

We wandered through the railway yard, thinking there might be another passenger train somewhere, but there were just rows and rows of freight cars, most of which were covered in snow, like they hadn't moved in years.

A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire. We must've looked pretty pathetic, because he gave us a toothless grin and says, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!' We huddled around his fire,

Thalia's teeth were chattering. She says, "Well this is g-g-g-great."

"Maybe we should contact camp,"Li-Anne says. "Chiron—"

"No," Zoe says. "They cannot help us anymore. We must finish this quest ourselves."

I gazed miserably around the rail yard. Somewhere, far to the west, Annabeth was in danger. Artemis was in chains. A doomsday monster was on the loose. And we were stuck on the outskirts of D.C., sharing a homeless persons fire.

"You know," the homeless man says, "you're never completely without friends." His face was grimy and his beard tangled, but his expression seemed kindly. "You kids need a train going west?"

"Yes, sir," Percy says. "You know of any?"

He pointed one greasy hand.

Suddenly I noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

"That's… convenient," Thalia says. "Thanks, uh…"

She turned to the homeless guy, but he was gone. The trash can in front of us was cold and empty, as if he'd taken the flames with him.

An hour later we were rumbling west. There was no problem about who would drive now, because we all got our own luxury car. Zoe and Bianca were crashed out in a Lexus on the top deck. Percy was playing race car driver behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. And Thalia had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so she could pick up the alt-rock stations from D.C. and I was in a black whole night I was up listing to Linkin park on an mp3 player in the glove box.

The next morning

We'd arrived on the outskirts of a little ski town nestled in the mountains. The sign said WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO. The air was cold and thin. The roofs of the cabins were heaped with snow, and dirty mounds of it were piled up on the sides of the streets. Tall pine trees loomed over the valley, casting pitch-black shadows, though the morning was sunny.

Even with my lion-skin coat, I was freezing by the time we got to Main Street, which was about half a mile from the train tracks. As we walked, I told Grover about my conversation with Apollo the night before—how he'd told me to seek out Nereus in San Francisco.

I tried not to get too depressed about our chances. I didn't want to send Grover into a panic, but I knew we had another huge deadline looming, aside from saving Artemis in time for her council of the gods. The General had said Annabeth would only be kept alive until the winter solstice. That was Friday, only four days away. And he'd said something about a sacrifice. I didn't like the sound of that at all.

We stopped in the middle of town. You could pretty much see everything from there: a school, a bunch of tourist stores and cafes, some ski cabins, and a grocery store.

"Great," Thalia says, looking around. "No bus station. No taxis. No car rental. No way out."

"There's a coffee shop!" I say

"Yes," Zoe says. "Coffee is good."

Thalia sighed. "Fine. How about you two go get us some food. Percy, Bianca, and I will check in the grocery store. Maybe they can give us directions."

We agreed to meet back in front of the grocery store in fifteen the coffee shop I order coffee for everyone else and tea for asks,"Why did thee get a cold drink instead of a hot one?"

I say,"Well I can't drink coffee,it makes me lose concentration and I can't use my powers."

This seems like a good place to stop for the chapter.


	15. We fight a pig

Ch.14 we fight a pig

We decided to look for something on the other side of made it to the edge of the town before the first two skeleton warriors appeared.

They stepped from the trees on either side of the road. Instead of gray camouflage, they were now wearing blue New Mexico State Police uniforms, but they had the same transparent gray skin and yellow eyes.

They drew their handguns. I'll admit I used to think it would be kind of cool to learn how to shoot a gun, but I changed my mind as soon as the skeleton warriors pointed theirs at me.

Thalia tapped her bracelet. Aegis spiraled to life on her arm, but the warriors didn't flinch. Their glowing yellow eyes bored right into me and Percy  
I drew Mortem, though I wasn't sure what good it would do against guns.

Zoe and Li-Anne drew their bows

"Back up," Thalia said.

We started to—but then I heard a rustling of branches. Two more skeletons appeared on the road behind us. We were surrounded.

I wondered where the other skeletons were. I'd seen a dozen at the Smithsonian. Then one of the warriors raised a cell phone to his mouth and spoke into it.

Except he wasn't speaking. He made a clattering, clicking sound, like dry teeth on bone.

Suddenly I understood what was going on. The skeletons had split up to look for us. These skeletons were now calling their brethren. Soon we'd have a full party on our hands.

I charged at on cutting it in half then I used my powers and took control of it,It got up and attacked the other skeletons.I smile,"I can only take control of them if I surprise them,good to know."

Two more showed up but they were different than the rest,they were holding machine guns and their skin was a pink color.

"We'll have to go one-on-one," Thalia says. "Five of them. Five of us."

"Agreed," Zoe says.

And Percy charged. The first skeleton fired. Time slowed down. I won't say he could see the bullet, but he could feel its path, the same way he felt water currents in the ocean and I felt tunnels under our deflected it off the edge of his blade and kept charging.

The skeleton drew a baton and Percy sliced off his arms at the elbows. Then he swung Tsunami through his waist and cut him in half.

His bones unknit and clattered to the asphalt in a heap. Almost immediately, they began to move, reassembling themselves. The second skeleton clattered his teeth at me and tried to fire, but Percy knocked his gun into the snow.

I thought he was doing pretty well, until the other two skeletons shot him in the back.

"Percy!" Thalia screamed.

he landed facedown in the street. Then I realized something… he wasn't dead. The impact of the bullets had been dull, like a push from behind, but they hadn't hurt him,because the lion skin is like a bullet proof vest.

Thalia charged the second skeleton. Zoe and Li-anne started firing arrows at the third and fourth.I jumped mine and Percy did the same to his.I jumped overr the skeletons baton and kick his tried to hit me again but I hit the dirt.

There was a crashing sound in the forest to our left, like a bulldozer. Maybe the skeletons' reinforcements were arriving. I got to my feet and ducked a police baton. The skeleton I'd cut in half was already fully re-formed, coming after me.

The skeletons keep pressing us back keeping us in batons length

"Plan?" I said as we retreated.

Nobody answered. The trees behind the skeletons were shivering. Branches were a mighty roar, the largest pig I'd ever seen came crashing into the road.

It was a wild boar, thirty feet high, with a snotty pink snout and tusks the size of canoes. Its back bristled with brown hair, and its eyes were wild and angry.

"REEEEEEEEET!" it squealed, and raked the three skeletons aside with its tusks. The force was so great, they went flying over the trees and into the side of the mountain, where they smashed to pieces, thigh bones and arm bones twirling everywhere.

The boar grunted and pawed the ground, ready to charge.

The boar said "REEEEEEET!" and swung its tusk. Zoe and Bianca dived out of the way. I had to push Grover so he wouldn't get launched into the mountain on the Boar Tusk Express.

We ran in different directions, and for a moment the boar was confused.

I say,"We all know we can't kill this,maybe we can ride it."

Zoe nods,"This fat pig,is big enough to ride."

the pig was offended and charged her. She was faster than I'd realized. She rolled out of the way of its hooves and came up behind the beast.

It lashed out with its tusks and pulverized the WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT sign.

I racked my brain, trying to remember the myth of the boar. I was pretty sure Hercules had fought this thing once, but I couldn't remember how he'd beaten it. I had a vague memory of the boar plowing down several Greek cities before Hercules managed to subdue it. I hoped Cloudcroft was insured against giant wild boar attacks.

"Keep moving!" Zoe yelled. She and Li-Anne ran in opposite Thalia,Percy,and I won the prize for bad luck. When the boar turned on us, Thalia made the mistake of raising Aegis in defense. The sight of the Medusa head made the boar squeal in outrage.

Maybe it looked too much like one of his relatives. The boar charged us.

We only managed to keep ahead of it because we ran uphill, and we could dodge in and out of trees while the boar had to plow through them. On the other side of the hill, I found an old stretch of train tracks, half buried in the snow.

"This way.'" I grabbed Thalia's arm and we all ran along the rails while the boar roared behind us, slipping and sliding as it tried to navigate the steep hillside. Its hooves just were not made for this, thank the gods.

Ahead of us, I saw a covered tunnel. Past that, an old trestle bridge spanning a gorge. I had a crazy idea.

"Follow me!"

Percy nods but Thalia slowed down—I didn't have time to ask why—but I pulled her along and she reluctantly followed. Behind us, a ten-ton pig tank was knocking down pine trees and crushing boulders under its hooves as it chased us.

Thalia,Percy, and I ran into the tunnel and came out on the other side.

"No!" Thalia screamed.

She'd turned as white as ice. We were at the edge of the bridge. Below, the mountain dropped away into a snow-filled gorge about seventy feet below.

The boar was right behind us.

"Come on!" I said. "It'll hold our weight, probably."

"I can't!" Thalia yelled. Her eyes were wild with fear.

The boar smashed into the covered tunnel, tearing through at full speed.

"Now!" Percy yelled at Thalia.

She looked down and swallowed. I swear she was turning green.

I knew she was afraid of heights. The boar was charging through the tunnel, straight toward us. Plan tackled Thalia and sent them both sideways off the edge of the bridge, into the side of the mountain,I made a snowboard out of shadows and followed. They slid on Aegis like a snow-board, over rocks and mud and snow, racing downhill. The boar was less fortunate; it couldn't turn that fast, so all ten tons of the monster charged out onto the tiny trestle, which buckled under its weight. The boar free-fell into the gorge with a mighty squeal and landed in a snowdrift with a huge POOOOOF! Thalia and Percy skidded to a stop and I stopped myself. We were all breathing hard. Percy was cut up and bleeding.

Thalia had pine needles in her hair and my jacket looks bleach white with all the snow on it. Next to us, the wild boar was squealing and struggling.

All I could see was the bristly tip of its back. It was wedged completely in the snow like Styrofoam packing. It didn't seem to be hurt, but it wasn't going anywhere, either.

I looked at Thalia. "You're afraid of heights." Now that we were safely down the mountain, her eyes had their usual angry look.

"Don't be stupid."

"That explains why you freaked out on Apollo's bus. Why you didn't want to talk about it."

She took a deep breath. Then she brushed the pine needles out of her hair. "If you tell anyone, I swear—"

"No, no," I said. "That's cool. It's just… the daughter of Zeus, the Lord of the Sky, afraid of heights?"

She was about to knock me into the snow when, above us,Li-Anne's voice called, "Helloooooo?"

"Down here!" I shouted.

A few minutes later, Zoe and Li-Anne joined us. We stood watching the wild boar struggle in the snow.

I smile,"Here's our ride west."

"Fun," Percy said. "Like… pig cowboys."

I nodded. "We need to get aboard. I wish… I wish I had more time to look around. But it's gone now."

We walked over to the boar and jumped onto its back.

Already the boar was starting to make some headway through the drift. Once it broke free, there'd be no stopping it. I summoned the escence of deatha nd put it behind the boar

"Automatic steering," Thalia murmured. "Great."

She trudged over and jumped on behind me, which still left plenty of room for the rest of us.

Zoe and Li-Anne walked toward the boar and jumped on.


	16. The night outside the junkyard

ch.15 the night outside the junkyard

We rode the boar until sunset, which was about as much as my back end could take.

Imagine riding a giant steel brush over a bed of gravel all day. That's about how comfortable boar-riding was.

I have no idea how many miles we covered, but the mountains faded into the distance and were replaced by miles of flat, dry land. The grass and scrub brush got sparser until we were galloping (do boars gallop?) across the desert.

As night fell, the boar came to a stop at a creek bed and snorted. He started drinking the muddy water, then ripped a saguaro cactus out of the ground and chewed it, needles and all.

"This is as far as he'll go," I say. "We need to get off while he's eating."

Nobody needed convincing. We slipped off the boar's back while he was busy ripping up cacti. Then we waddled away as best we could with our saddle sores.

After its third saguaro and another drink of muddy water, the boar squealed and belched, then whirled around and galloped back toward the east.

"It likes the mountains better," I guessed.

"I can't blame it," Thalia said. "Look."

Ahead of us was a two-lane road half covered with sand. On the other side of the road was a cluster of buildings too small to be a town: a boarded-up house, a taco shop that looked like it hadn't been open since before Zoe Nightshade was born, and a white stucco post office with a sign that said GILA CLAW, ARIZONA hanging crooked above the door. Beyond that was a range of hills… but then I noticed they weren't regular hills. The countryside was way too flat for that. The hills were enormous mounds of old cars, appliances, and other scrap metal. It was a junkyard that seemed to go on forever.

"Whoa," I said.

"Something tells me we're not going to find a car rental here," Thalia said. She looked at me. "I don't suppose you got another wild boar up your sleeve?"

I nod no and say,"Let's camp here and we'll go through here tomorrow."

He pointed straight toward the junkyard. With the sunlight almost gone now, the hills of metal looked like something on an alien planet.

We decided to camp for the night and try the junkyard in the morning. None of us wanted to go Dumpster-diving in the dark.

Zoe and Li-Anne produced five sleeping bags and foam mattresses out of their backpacks. I don't know how they did it, because their were enchanted to hold so much stuff. I'd noticed their bows and quivers were also magic. I never really thought about it, but when the Hunters needed them, they just appeared slung over their backs. And when they didn't, they were gone.

The night got chilly fast, so Percy and I collected old boards from the ruined house, and Thalia zapped them with an electric shock to start a campfire. Pretty soon we were about as comfy as you can get in a rundown ghost town in the middle of nowhere.

"The stars are out," Zoe said.

She was right. There were millions of them, with no city lights to turn the sky orange.

"Amazing,"Li-Anne said. "I've never actually seen the Milky Way."

"This is nothing," Zoe said. "In the old days, there were more. Whole constellations have disappeared because of human light pollution."

"You talk like you're not human," Percy said.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "I am a Hunter. I care what happens to the wild places of the world. Can the same be said for thee?"

"For you," Thalia corrected. "Not thee"

"But you use you for the beginning of a sentence."

"And for the end," Thalia said. "No thou. No thee. Just you"

Zoe threw up her hands in exasperation. "I hate this language. It changes too often!"

I sighed. I was still looking up at the stars and think,How are Nico and Bianca.

"Never mind," Zoe told her. "We should plan our next move. When we get through this junkyard, we must continue west. If we can find a road, we can hitchhike to the nearest city. I think that would be Las Vegas.

Thalia says,"I don't think that's wise,Vegas is a good place for monsters."

Suddenly,we were hit with a blazing light from down the road. The headlights of a car appeared out of nowhere. I was half hoping it was Apollo, come to give us a ride again, but the engine was way too silent for the sun chariot, and besides, it was nighttime. We grabbed our sleeping bags and got out-of-the-way as a deathly white limousine slid to a stop in front of us.

The back door of the limo opened right next to Percy. Before I could step away, the point of a sword touched my throat.

I heard the sound of Zoe and Li-Anne drawing their bows. As the owner of the sword got out of the car, Percy moved back very slowly. He had to, because he was pushing the point under Percy's chin.

He smiled cruelly. "Not so fast now, are you, punk?"

He was a big man with a crew cut, a black leather biker's jacket, black jeans, a white muscle shirt, and combat boots. Wraparound shades hid his eyes, but I knew what was behind those glasses—hollow sockets filled with flames.

"Ares," I growled.

The war-god glanced at my friends. "At ease, people."

He snapped his fingers, and their weapons fell to the ground,my sword still in my hand he curses,"Fuck,I can't do anything about that sword,stygian Iron,a fools metal".

"This is a friendly meeting." He dug the point of his blade a little farther under Percy's chin.

"Of course I'd like to take your head for a trophy, but someone wants to see you. And I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Thalia asked.

Ares looked over at her. "Well, well. I heard you were back." He lowered his sword and pushed Percy away.

"Thalia, daughter of Zeus," Ares mused. "You're not hanging out with very good company."

"What's your business, Ares?" she said. "Who's in the car?"

Ares smiled, enjoying the attention. "Oh, I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you.

Particularly not them." He jutted his chin toward Zoe and Li-Anne. "Why don't you all go get some tacos while you wait? Only take Percy a few minutes."

"We will not leave him alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoe said.

"Besides," I said in a know-it-all tone, "the taco place is closed."

Ares snapped his fingers again. The lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life.

The boards flew off the door and the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN. "You were saying,corpsebreath?"

"Go on," Percy told us. "I'll handle this."

He tried to sound more confident than he felt. I don't think Ares was fooled.

"You heard the boy," Ares said. "He's big and strong. He's got things under control."

We reluctantly headed over to the taco restaurant,but first I say,"Ares if you kill him you will have several gods stronger than you and me and we will kill you."

I walk in and sit in the darkest corner making and extinguishing black fire.

* * *

**Yay,these chapters are flowing from my mind,yikes I am going a bit fast.**


	17. Defective Talos

ch.16 Defective Talos

We walk up to Percy and ask what Aphrodite wanted him for and he said he wasn't sure and she said to not pick anything up in the junkyard.

Zoe narrowed her eyes. "The goddess of love would not make a special trip to tell thee that. Be careful, Percy. Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."

"For once I agree with Zoe," Thalia said. "You can't trust Aphrodite."

"So," I said, anxious to change the subject, "how do we get out of here?"

"That way," Zoe said. "That is west."

"How can you tell?"Percy asks

In the light of the full moon, I was surprised how well I could see her roll her eyes at me. "Ursa Major is in the north," she said, "which means that must be west."

She pointed west, then at the northern constellation, which was hard to make out because there were so many other stars.

"Oh, yeah," He says. "The bear thing."

Zoe looked offended. "Show some respect. It was a fine bear. A worthy opponent."

"You act like it was real."

"Guys," I broke in. "Look!"

We'd reached the crest of a junk mountain. Piles of metal objects glinted in the moonlight: broken heads of bronze horses, metal legs from human statues, smashed chariots, tons of shields and swords and other weapons, along with more modern stuff, like cars that gleamed gold and silver, refrigerators, washing machines, and computer monitors.

"Whoa," Li-Anne said. "That stuff… some of it looks like real gold."

"It is," Thalia said grimly. "Like Percy said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods."

We walk in cautiously."I don't like this place," Thalia said. She gripped the shaft of her spear.

"You think we're going to get attacked by killer refrigerators?" Percy asked.

She gave me a hard look. "Zoe is right, Percy. Things get thrown away here for a reason. Now come on, let's get across the yard."

"That's the second time you've agreed with Zoe," he muttered, but Thalia ignored him.

We started picking our way through the hills and valleys of junk. The stuff seemed to go on forever, and if it hadn't been for Ursa Major, we would've gotten lost. All the hills pretty much looked the same.

I'd like to say we left the stuff alone, but there was too much cool junk not to check out some of it. I found an electric guitar shaped like Apollo's lyre that was so sweet I had to pick it up. Percy found a broken tree made out of metal. It had been chopped to pieces, but some of the branches still had golden birds in them, and they whirred around when he picked them up, trying to flap their wings.

Finally, we saw the edge of the junkyard about half a mile ahead of us, the lights of a highway stretching through the desert. But between us and the road… "What is that?"Li-Anne gasped. Ahead of us was a hill much bigger and longer than the others. It was like a metal mesa, the length of a football field and as tall as goalposts. At one end of the mesa was a row of ten thick metal columns, wedged tightly together.

she frowned. "They look like—"

"Toes," I said.

Bianca nodded. "Really, really large toes."

Zoe and Thalia exchanged nervous looks.

"Let's go around," Thalia said. "Far around."

"But the road is right over there," Percy protested. "Quicker to climb over."

Ping.

Thalia hefted her spear and Zoe drew her bow, but then I realized it was only some falling junk.

"We made it out," Zoe said. "Thank the gods."

But apparently the gods didn't want to be thanked. At that moment, I heard a sound like a thousand trash compactors crushing metal.

I whirled around. Behind us, the scrap mountain was boiling, rising up. The ten toes tilted over, and I realized why they looked like toes. They were toes. The thing that rose up from the metal was a bronze giant in full Greek battle armor. He was impossibly tall—a skyscraper with legs and arms. He gleamed wickedly in the moonlight. He looked down at us, and his face was deformed. The left side was partially melted off. His joints creaked with rust, and across his armored chest, written in thick dust by some giant finger, were the words WASH ME.

"Talos!" Zoe gasped.

"Who—who's Talos?" Percy stuttered. "One of Hephaestus's creations," Thalia said. "But that can't be the original. It's too small. A prototype, maybe. A defective model.

The metal giant didn't like the word defective.

He moved one hand to his sword belt and drew his weapon. The sound of it coming out of its sheath was horrible, metal screeching against metal. The blade was a hundred feet long, easy. It looked rusty and dull, but I didn't figure that mattered. Getting hit with that thing would be like getting hit with a battleship.

"Someone took something," Zoe said. "Who took something?"

She stared accusingly at Percy.

He shook my head. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a thief."

Li-Anne didn't say anything. I could swear she looked guilty, but I didn't have much time to think about it, because the giant defective Talos took one step toward us, closing half the distance and making the ground shake.

I laugh,"Your,not the only one that can shake the Earth."

I smile then I concentrate on the metal around us and send it all flying covering Talos,for only a minute before he bakes out of the pile and it goes everywhere.

The giant kept coming after me. It stabbed its sword into a junk hill, missing me by a few feet, but scrap metal made an avalanche over me, and then I couldn't see anymore.

"No!" Thalia yelled.

"Crazy-idea time," Percy said.

Li-Anne nervously said. "Anything."

Percy told her about a maintenance hatch. "There may be a way to control the thing.

Switches or something. I'm going to get inside."

"How? You'll have to stand under its foot! You'll be crushed"

"Distract it," Percy said. "I'll just have to time it right."

her jaw tightened. "No. I'll go."

"You can't. You're new at this! You'll die." "It's my fault the monster came after us," she said. "It's my responsibility. Here." "If anything happens, give that to Andromeda. Tell her… tell her I'm sorry."

"Li-Anne, no!"

But she wasn't waiting for Percy. She charged at the monster's left foot.

Zoe yelled, "What are you doing?"

"Get it to raise its foot!" Li-Anne said.

"Hey, Junk Boy!" Percy yelled. "Down here."

I dig my self out of the pile

Unfortunately, Percy's plan worked. Talos looked down at him and raised his foot to squash Percy like a bug. I didn't see what Li-Anne was doing. I had to turn and run. The foot came down about two inches behind Percy and he was knocked into the air. he hit something hard and sat up, dazed. he'd been thrown into an Olympus-Air refrigerator.

The monster was about to finish him off, but I shot enough black fire to burn down my father's palace at Talos. The monster turned.I should've run, but I must've been too exhausted from the effort of so much power.I took two steps, fell, and didn't get back up.

**Later**

When we reached the wreckage we searched frantically, yelling Li-Anne's name. We crawled around in the vast hollow pieces and the legs and the head. We searched until the sun started to rise, but no luck.

Zoe sat down and wept. I was stunned to see her cry.

Thalia yelled in rage and impaled her sword in the giant's smashed face.

"We can keep searching," Percy said. "It's light now. We'll find her."

"No we won't,"I said miserably. "Her life force its completely gone,It happened just as it was supposed to."

"What are you talking about?" Percy demanded.

I looked up at Percy with big watery eyes. "The prophecy. One shall he lost in the land without rain."

Why hadn't I seen it? Why had we let her go instead of one of us? Here we were in the desert. And Li-Anne Roster was gone.

* * *

**Well sorry to taylorluvsPJO but your character's sacrifice was needed.**


	18. The dam snack bar

ch.17 The dam snack bar?

At the edge of the dump, we found a tow truck so old it might've been thrown away itself. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of gas, so we decided to borrow it.

Thalia drove. She didn't seem as stunned as Zoe or Percy and to be honest I don't know how.

"The skeletons are still out there," she reminded us. "We need to keep moving."

She navigated us through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at. Zoe sat up front with and I sat in the pickup bed, leaning against the tow wench. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing Li-Anne.

Percy's hand closed around the little figurine that had cost her life. I saw it was Posiedon.

Oh, gods… what was Percy going to tell Andromeda? I wanted to believe that Li-Anne was still alive somewhere. But I had a bad feeling that she was gone for good.

"It should've been me," Percy said. "I should've gone into the giant."

"Don't say that!" I panicked. "It's bad enough Annabeth is gone, and now Li-Anne. Do you think I could stand it if…" I smiled. "Do you think anybody else would be my best friend?"

"Ah,Thece you finally say something emotional."

The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well, because the road dead-ended.

Thalia got out and slammed the door. Immediately, one of the tires blew. "Great. What now?"

I scanned the horizon. There wasn't much to see. Desert in all directions, occasional clumps of barren mountains plopped here and there. The canyon was the only thing interesting. The river itself wasn't very big, maybe fifty yards across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. The rock cliffs dropped away below followed the river about half a mile before coming to an easier slope that led down to the water. On the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season, but Percy left a stack of golden drachmas on the counter and a note saying IOU two canoes.

"We need to go upstream," Zoe said. It was the first time I'd heard her speak since the junkyard, and I was worried about how bad she sounded, like somebody with the flu. "The rapids are too swift."

"Leave that to me," Percy said. We put the canoes in the water.

Thalia pulled Percy aside as we were getting the oars.

"Can you really…" She nodded to the rapids. "You know." "I think so. Usually I'm good with water."

"Would you take Zoe?" she asked. "I think, ah, maybe you can talk to her."

"She's not going to like that."

"Please? I don't know if I can stand being in the same boat with her. She's… she's starting to worry me."

Percy nods,"she's not going to like it."

Thalia's shoulders relaxed. "I owe you one."

"Two."

"One and a half," Thalia said.

She smiled

As it turned out, Percy didn't even need to control the currents. As soon as we got in the river, we looked over the edge of the boat and found a couple of naiads staring at Percy and glaring at me.

They looked like regular teenage girls, the kind you'd see in any mall, except for the fact that they were underwater.

After mental chat with them the naiads each chose a canoe and began pushing us up the river. We started so fast I fell into my canoe with my head in the water.I pull my head out and yell,

"Gods of Olympus I hate being wet!"

Thalia laughs and stops me from jumping out of the canoe and beating Percy up for not warning me by capturing my lips in a kiss,I smile and kiss her back  
I completely forget about being canoe was slowing down.

I looked ahead, and I saw why.

This was as far as they could take us. The river was blocked. A dam the size of a football stadium stood in our path.

"Hoover Dam," Thalia said. "It's huge."

We stood at the river's edge, looking up at a curve of concrete that loomed between the cliffs. People were walking along the top of the dam. They were so tiny they looked like fleas.

The naiads had left with a lot of grumbling—not in words I could understand, but it was obvious they hated this dam blocking up their nice river. Our canoes floated back downstream, swirling in the wake from the dam's discharge vents.

"Seven hundred feet tall," I said. "Built in the 1930s."

"Five million cubic acres of water," Thalia said.

Percy sighed. "Largest construction project in the United States."

Zoe stared at us. "How do you know all that?" "Annabeth and Theseus," I said. "They like architecture."

"Annabeth was nuts about monuments," Thalia said.

"Spouted facts all the time." I smiled. "So great."

"I wish she were here," Percy said.

The others nodded. Zoe was still looking at us strangely, but I didn't care. It seemed like cruel fate that we'd come to Hoover Dam, one of Annabeth's personal favorites, and she wasn't here to see seemed like cruel fate that we'd come to Hoover Dam, one of Annabeth's personal favorites, and she wasn't here to see it.

"We should go up there," Percy said. "For her sake. Just to say we've been."

"You are mad," Zoe decided. "But that's where the road is." She pointed to a huge parking garage next to the top of the dam. "And so, sightseeing it is."

We had to walk for almost an hour before we found a path that led up to the road. It came up on the east side of the river. Then we straggled back toward the dam. It was cold and windy on top. On one side, a big lake spread out, ringed by barren desert mountains. On the other side, the dam dropped away like the world's most dangerous skateboard ramp, down to the river seven hundred feet below, and water that churned from the dam's vents.

Thalia walked in the middle of the road, far away from the edges.

I didn't either. It was already Wednesday, only two days until winter solstice, and we still had a long way to go. We didn't need any more monsters, "There's a snack bar in the visitor center," Thalia said.

"You've been here before?" Percy asked.

"Once. To see the guardians." She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues. They looked kind of like Oscar statues with wings.

"They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," Thalia said. "A gift from Athena."

Tourists were clustered all around them. They seemed to be looking at the statues' feet. "What are they doing?" Percy asked.

"Rubbing the toes," Thalia said. "They think it's good luck."

"Why?"

She shook her head. "Mortals get crazy ideas. They don't know the statues are sacred to Zeus, but they know there's something special about them."

"When you were here last, did they talk to you or anything?"

Thalia's expression darkened. I could tell that she'd come here before hoping for exactly that—some kind of sign from her dad. Some connection. "No. They don't do anything.

They're just big metal statues."

I thought about the last big metal statue we'd run into. That hadn't gone so well. But I decided not to bring it up.

"Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoe said. "We should eat while we can."

I cracked a smile. "The dam snack bar?"

Zoe blinked. "Yes. What is funny?"

"Nothing," I said, trying to keep a straight face. "I could use some dam french fries."

Even Thalia smiled at that. "And I need to use the dam restroom."

Maybe it was the fact that we were so tired and strung out emotionally, but I started cracking up, and Thalia and Percy joined in, while Zoe just looked at us. "I do not understand."

"I want to use the dam water fountain," Percy said.

"And…" Thalia tried to catch her breath. "I want to buy a dam T-shirt."

I busted up, and I probably would've kept laughing all day, but then I heard a noise: "Moooo."

The smile melted off my face. I wondered if the noise was just in my head, but Percy had stopped laughing too. He was looking around, confused. "Did I just hear a cow?"

"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed.

"No," I said. "I'm serious."

Zoe listened. "I hear nothing." Thalia was looking at Percy. "Percy, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said. "You guys go ahead. I'll be right in."

"What's wrong?" Grover asked.

"Nothing," he said. "I… I just need a minute. To think."

We hesitated, he looked upset,we went into the visitor center without walked in and I looked at everyone,"How much money do you guys have?"

Thalia pulls out a dollar and Zoe had golden drachmas I frown and stomped on the ground and a pure ruby pops out of the smiles,

"Well,sons of Hades are pretty cool."

I smile,"Don't forget I'm also a son of Athena so crafts hey Thalia catch."

I throw her a ring with a black diamond and a blue band she smiles and catches it saying,"Wow,good choice of color."  
Zoe looks at it,

"When did you do that?"

"The day before the quest,when we were riding to Westover Hall,it promises that I love whoever I give it to and is enchanted so that whoever wears it can become invisible in the shadows,all you have to do it blow on it."


	19. We go to Frisco

ch.18 we go to Frisco

We sat down eating and I must say I ate a lot,three tacos,4 bags of cool ranch doritos,and 3 sodas.I smile and Percy runs up

We need to leave," Percy gasped. "Now!"

"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said. Zoe stood up, muttering an Ancient Greek curse. "He's right! Look."

The cafe windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave us a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill us.

I counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols.

But our immediate problem was a lot closer. The three skeletal warriors who'd been chasing me in the turbine room now appeared on the stairs. They saw me from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"Elevator!" I said. We bolted that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico. We were completely surrounded.

Then I had a brilliant, totally Grover-like idea.

"Burrito fight!"I yelled, and I fling my burrito at the nearest skeleton.

Now, if you have never been hit by a flying burrito, count yourself lucky. In terms of deadly projectiles, it's right up there with grenades and cannonballs. my lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. I'm not sure what the other kids in the cafe saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming. The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere.

In the chaos, Thalia and Percy tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. Then we all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past our heads.

"What now?" I asked as we burst outside.

They didn't have an answer. The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction.

We ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues, but that just put our backs to the mountain.

The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent around us. Their brethren from the cafe were running up to join them. One was still putting its skull back on its shoulders.

Another was covered in ketchup and mustard. Two more had burritos lodged in their rib cages. They didn't look happy about it. They drew batons and advanced.

"Four against eleven," Zoe muttered. "And they cannot die."

I say,"I could make a diamond dome until we've thought of a plan?"

Zoe says,"No wasting energy."

Something shiny caught the corner of my eye. I glanced behind me at the statue's feet.

"Whoa," Percy said. "Their toes really are bright."

"Percy!" Thalia said. "This isn't the time."

But he couldn't help staring at the two giant bronze guys with tall bladed wings like letter openers. They were weathered brown except for their toes, which shone like new pennies from all the times people had rubbed them for good luck.

Good luck. The blessing of Zeus.

I look at Percy

"Thalia," Percy said. "Pray to your dad."

She glared at me. "He never answers."

"Just this once," I pleaded. "Ask for help. I think… I think the statues can give us some luck."

Six skeletons raised their guns. The other five came forward with batons. Fifty feet away. Forty feet.

"Do it!" he yelled.

"No!" Thalia said. "He won't answer me."

"This time is different!"

"Who says?"

He hesitated. "Athena, I think."

Thalia scowled like she was sure I'd gone crazy.

"Try it," I pleaded.

Thalia closed her eyes. Her lips moved in a silent prayer. I put in my own prayer to mom, hoping Percy was right that it had been her he'd talked to—that she was trying to help us save her daughter.

And nothing happened.

The skeletons closed in. I raised Mortem to defend myself. Thalia held up her pulled up Tsunami

Zoe aimed an arrow at a skeleton's head.

A shadow fell over me. I thought maybe it was the shadow of death. Then I realized it was the shadow of an enormous wing. The skeletons looked up too late. A flash of bronze, and all five of the baton-wielders were swept aside.

The other skeletons opened fire. I raised my lion coat for protection, but I didn't need it.

The bronze angels stepped in front of us and folded their wings like shields. Bullets pinged off of them like rain off a corrugated roof. Both angels slashed outward, and the skeletons went flying across the road.

"Man, it feels good to stand up!" the first angel said. His voice sounded tinny and rusty, like he hadn't had a drink since he'd been built.

"Will ya look at my toes?" the other said. "Holy Zeus, what were those tourists thinking?"

As stunned as I was by the angels, I was more concerned with the skeletons. A few of them were getting up again, reassembling, bony hands groping for their weapons.

"Trouble!" Percy said.

"Get us out of here!" Thalia yelled.

Both angels looked down at her. "Zeus's kid?" Yes! "Could I get a please, Miss Zeus's Kid?" an angel asked.

"Please!"

The angels looked at each other and shrugged.

"Could use a stretch," one decided. And the next thing I knew, one of them grabbed Thalia and Percy, the other grabbed Zoe and Me, and we flew straight up, over the dam and the river, the skeleton warriors shrinking to tiny specks below us and the sound of gunfire echoing off the sides of the mountains.

"Tell me when it's over," Thalia said. Her eyes were shut tight. The statue was holding on to us so we couldn't fall, but still Thalia clutched his arm like it was the most important thing in the world.

"Everything's fine," Percy promised.

"Are… are we very high?"

I looked down. Below us, a range of snowy mountains zipped by. I stretched out my foot and kicked snow off one of the peaks.

"Nah," Percy said. "Not that high."

"We are in the Sierras.'" Zoe yelled. She and I were hanging from the arms of the other statue. "I have hunted here before. At this speed, we should be in San Francisco in a few hours."

"Hey, hey, Frisco!" our angel said. "Yo, Chuck! We could visit those guys at the Mechanics Monument again! They know how to party!"

"Oh, man," the other angel said. "I am so there!"

"You guys have visited San Francisco?" I asked.

"We automatons gotta have some fun once in a while, right?" Percy's statue said. "Those mechanics took us over to the de Young Museum and introduced us to these marble lady statues, see. And—"

"Hank!" the other statue Chuck cut in. "They're kids, man."

"Oh, right." If bronze statues could blush, I swear Hank did. "Back to flying."

We sped up, so I could tell the angels were excited. The mountains fell away into hills, and then we were zipping along over farmland and towns and highways.

Grover played his pipes to pass the time. Zoe got bored and started shooting arrows at random billboards as we flew by. Every time she saw a Target department store—and we passed dozens of them—she would peg the store's sign with a few bulls-eyes at a hundred miles an hour.

Thalia kept her eyes closed the whole way. She muttered to herself a lot, like she was praying. "You did good back there," Percy told her. "Zeus listened."

It was hard to tell what she was thinking with her eyes closed.

"Maybe," she said. "How did you get away from the skeletons in the generator room, anyway? You said they cornered you."

Percy told her about the weird mortal girl, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who seemed to be able to see right through the Mist. Percy probably thought Thalia was going to call him crazy, but she just nodded.

"Some mortals are like that," she said. "Nobody knows why."

Suddenly I flashed on something I'd never considered.

My mom was like that. She had seen the cyclops that killed and she'd known exactly what it was.

"Well, the girl was annoying," Percy said. "But I'm glad I didn't vaporize her. That would've been bad."

Thalia nodded. "Must be nice to be a regular mortal." She said that as if she'd given it a lot of thought.

"Where you guys want to land?" Hank asked, waking me up from a nap.

I looked down and said, "Whoa."

I'd seen San Francisco in pictures before, but never in real life. It was probably the most beautiful city I'd ever seen: kind of like a smaller, cleaner Manhattan, if Manhattan had been surrounded by green hills and fog. There was a huge bay and ships, islands and sailboats, and the Golden Gate Bridge sticking up out of the fog. I felt like I should take a picture or something. Greetings from Frisco. Haven't Died Yet. Wish You Were Here.

* * *

**Boom chapter 18 finished.**


	20. Percy catches Nereus

ch.19 Percy captures Nereus

"There," Zoe suggested. "By the Embarcadero Building."

"Good thinking," Chuck said. "Me and Hank can blend in with the pigeons."

We all looked at him.

"Kidding," he said. "Sheesh, can't statues have a sense of humor?"

As it turned out, there wasn't much need to blend in. It was early morning and not many people were around. We freaked out a homeless guy on the ferry dock when we landed. He screamed when he saw Hank and Chuck and ran off yelling something about metal angels from Mars. We said our good-byes to the angels, who flew off to party with their statue friends.

That's when I realized I had no idea what we were going to do next.

We'd made it to the West Coast. Artemis was here somewhere. Annabeth too, I hoped.

But I had no idea how to find them, and tomorrow was the winter solstice. Nor did I have any clue what monster Artemis had been hunting. It was supposed to find us on the quest. It was supposed to "show the trail," but it never had. Now we were stuck on the ferry dock with not much money, no friends, and no luck.

After a brief discussion, we agreed that we needed to figure out just what this mystery monster was.

"But how?" Percy asked.

"Nereus," I said.

He looked at me. "What?"

"Isn't that what Apollo told you to do? Find Nereus?"

He nods. He'd completely forgotten my last conversation with the sun god.

The old man of the sea," He remembered. "I'm supposed to find him and force him to tell us what he knows. But how do I find him?"

Zoe made a face. "Old Nereus, eh?"

"You know him?" Thalia asked.

"My mother was a sea goddess. Yes, I know , he is never very hard to find. Just follow the smell."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Come," she said without enthusiasm. "I will show thee."

I knew Percy was in trouble when we stopped at the Goodwill drop box. Five minutes later, Zoe had Percy outfitted in a ragged flannel shirt and jeans three sizes too big, bright red sneakers, and a floppy rainbow hat.

"Oh, yeah," I said, trying not to bust out laughing, "you look completely inconspicuous now."

Zoe nodded with satisfaction. "A typical male vagrant."

"Thanks a lot," Percy grumbled. "Why am I doing this again?"

"I told thee. To blend in." She led the way back down to the waterfront. After a long time spent searching the docks, Zoe finally stopped in her tracks. She pointed down a pier where a bunch of homeless guys were huddled together in blankets, waiting for the soup kitchen to open for lunch.

"He will be down there somewhere," Zoe said. "He never travels very far from the water. He likes to sun himself during the day."

"How do I know which one is him?"

"Sneak up," she said. "Act homeless. You will know him. He will smell… different."

"Great." I didn't want to ask for particulars. "And once I find him?"

"Grab him," she said. "And hold on. He will try anything to get rid of thee. Whatever he does, do not let go. Force him to tell thee about the monster."

"We've got your back," Thalia said. She picked something off the back of my shirt—a big clump of fuzz that came from who-knows-where. "Eww. On second thought… I don't want your back. But we'll be rooting for you."

I gave Percy a big thumbs-up.

He grumbled how nice it was to have super-powerful friends. Then he headed toward the dock.

He pulled his hat down and stumbled like he was about to pass out, which wasn't hard considering how tired we all were. He passed our homeless friend from the Embarcadero, who was still trying to warn the other guys about the metal angels from Mars.

After a second of stopping Percy kept walking.

A couple of grimy dudes with plastic grocery bags for hats checked him out as he came close.

"Beat it, kid!" one of them muttered.

He moved was a lady with a bunch of plastic flamingos sticking out of a shopping cart. She glared at Percy like he was going to steal her the end of the pier, a guy who looked about a million years old was passed out in a patch of sunlight. He wore pajamas and a fuzzy bathrobe that probably used to be white. He was fat, with a white beard that had turned yellow, kind of like Santa Claus, if Santa had been rolled out of bed and dragged through a stepped up and sat down muttering something about stupid school and stupid parents, figuring that might sound tensed. I knew this was going to look strange. I didn't know how the other homeless people would react. But I jumped Santa Claus.

"Ahhhhhl" The Santa screamed. It was as if he'd never been asleep at all. He certainly didn't act like a weak old man.

"Help me!" he screamed as he squeezed me to death.

"That's a crime!" one of the other homeless guys yelled. "Kid rolling an old man like that!"

Percy rolled, all right—straight down the pier until his head slammed into a post. He was dazed for a second, and Nereus's grip slackened. He was making a break for it. Before he could, Percy seemed regain his senses and tackled Nereus from behind.

"I don't have any money!" He tried to get up and run, but Percy locked my arms around his chest.

"I don't want money," Percy said as he fought. "I'm a half-blood! I want information.'"

That just made him struggle harder. "Heroes! Why do you always pick on me?"

"Because you know everything!"

He growled and tried to shake Percy off his back.

He thrashed around, making it impossible for Percy to keep on his feet, but he gritted his teeth and squeezed tighter. They staggered toward the edge of the pier.

"Oh, no!" Percy said. "Not the water!"

I smiled,The plan worked. Immediately, Nereus yelled in triumph and jumped off the edge.

Together, They plunged into San Francisco Bay.

I ask,"Wanna play Go fish?"

Thalia says,"Why not."

I pull out my Olympian Go fish set and we start the game I ask,"Do you have a Hades?"

she hands me two,I ask,"So you have a Hera?"

She smiles,"I can happily say Go fish."

I pull a card and it was a Hades.I set them all down and she asks,"Do you have a Poseidon?"

I hand it to her. "A Zeus?"

I hand it to her,"An Aphrodite."

I smile,"If I did I'd be the one fishing,for a new girlfriend."

She laughs at the thinks about it then smiles.

Percy and Nereus come up and we run over.

"You got him!" Zoe said.

"You don't have to sound so amazed," Percy said.

Nereus moaned. "Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation! The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"

"I've got more than one question," Percy said.

"Only one question per capture! That's the rule."

He looked at my friends.

This wasn't good. We needed to find Artemis, and We needed to figure out what the doomsday creature was. Also needed to know if Annabeth was still alive, and how to rescue her. How could We ask that all in one question? A voice inside Percy was probably screaming Ask about Annabeth! That's what he cared about most.

But then I imagined what Annabeth might say. She would never forgive him if he saved her and didn't save Olympus. Zoe would want him to ask about Artemis, but Chiron had told us the monster was even more important.

Percy sighed. "All right, Nereus. Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth.

"Oh, that's too easy," he said evilly. "He's right there."

Nereus pointed to the water at Percy's feet. "Where?" Percy said.

"The deal is complete!" Nereus gloated. With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and did a backflip into the sea.

"You tricked me!" Percy yelled.

"Wait." Thalia's eyes widened. "What is that?"

"MOOOOOOOO!"

We looked down, a half cow,half serpent, swimming next to the dock.

It nudged Percy's shoe and gave him the sad brown eyes.

"Ah, Bessie," Percy said. "Not now."

"Mooo!"

I gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie."

"You can understand her… er, him?"

I nodded. "It's a very old form of animal speech,mom taught me it. But he says his name is the Ophiotaurus."

"The Ophi-what?"

"It means serpent bull in Greek," Thalia said. "But what's it doing here?"

"Moooooooo!"

"He says Percy is his protector," I announced.

"And he's running from the bad people. He says they are close."

"Wait," Zoe said, looking at Percy. "You know this cow?"

He was feeling impatient, but he told us the story.

Thalia shook her head in disbelief. "And you just forgot to mention this before?"

"Well… yeah."

"I am a fool," Zoe said suddenly. "I know this story!"

"What story?" "From the War of the Titans," she said. "My… my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."

"Bessie?" Percy looked down at the bull serpent. "But… he's too cute. He couldn't destroy the world."

"That is how we were wrong," Zoe said. "We've been anticipating a huge dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."

"MMMM," Bessie lowed.

"I don't think he likes the S-word," I said.

Percy patted the Ophiotaurus on the head, trying to calm him down. He let Percy scratch his ear, but he was trembling.

"How could anyone hurt him?" Percy said. "He's harmless."

Zoe nodded. "But there is power in killing innocence.

Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born.

They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods."

"MMMMMM!"

"Um," I said. "Maybe we could avoid talking about entrails, too."

Thalia stared at the cow serpent with wonder. "The power to destroy the gods… how? I mean, what would happen?"

"No one knows," Zoe said. "The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn."

Thalia sat down on the dock. She stretched out her hand. The Ophiotaurus went right to her.

Thalia placed her hand on his head. The Ophiotaurus shivered.

Thalia's expression bothered me. She almost looked… hungry.

"We have to protect him," Percy told her. "If Luke gets hold of him—"

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia muttered. "The power to overthrow Olympus. That's… that's huge."

"Yes, it is, my dear," said a man's voice in a heavy French accent. "And it is a power you shall unleash."

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	21. MrD actually saves us

ch.20 Mr.D actually saves us

The Ophiotaurus made a whimpering sound and submerged. I looked up. We'd been so busy talking, we'd allowed ourselves to be ambushed.

Standing behind us, his two-color eyes gleaming wickedly, was Dr. Thorn, the manticore himself.

"This is just pairrr-fect," the manticore gloated.

He was wearing a ratty black trench coat over his Westover Hall uniform, which was torn and stained. His military haircut had grown out spiky and greasy. He hadn't shaved recently, so his face was covered in silver stubble. Basically he didn't look much better than the guys down at the soup kitchen.

"Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia," the manticore said. "I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans shall honor me, and I shall feast on the flesh of half-bloods!"

On either side of him stood two armed security guys, some of the mortal mercenaries Percy'd seen in D.C. Two more stood on the next boat dock over, just in case we tried to escape that way. There were tourists all around—walking down the waterfront, shopping at the pier above us—but I knew that wouldn't stop the manticore from acting.

"Where… where are the skeletons?" I asked the manticore.

He sneered. "I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!"

I needed time to think. I had to save the Ophiotaurus . Percy could dive into the sea, but how could he make a quick getaway with a five-hundred-pound cow serpent? And what about us? "We beat you once before," Percy said.

"Ha! You could barely fight me with a goddess on your side. And, alas… that goddess is preoccupied at the moment. There will be no help for you now."

Zoe notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore's head. The guards on either side of us raised their guns.

"Wait!" I said. "Zoe, don't!"

The manticore smiled. "The boy is right, Zoe Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia's great victory."

"What are you talking about?" Thalia growled. She had her shield and spear ready.

"Surely it is clear," the manticore said. "This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. And for your sixteenth birthday, you will overthrow Olympus."

No one spoke. It made terrible sense. Thalia was only two days away from turning sixteen. She was a child of the Big Three. And here was a choice, a terrible choice that could mean the end of the gods. It was just like the prophecy said. I wasn't sure if I felt relieved, horrified, or disappointed. Pecy wasn't the prophecy kid after all. Doomsday was happening right now.

I waited for Thalia to tell the manticore off, but she hesitated. She looked completely stunned.

"You know it is the right choice," the manticore told her. "Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear."

"Thalia," I said, "snap out of it!"

She looked at me the same way she had the morning she woke up on Half-Blood Hill, dazed and uncertain. It was almost like she didn't know me. "I… I don't—"

"Your father helped you," I said. "He sent the metal angels. He turned you into a tree to preserve you."

Her hand tightened on the shaft of her spear.

I looked at Percy desperately. Thank the gods, he understood what I needed. He raised his Sword and I used my powers making black fire.

The manticore yelled, "Stop him!"

The guards had been targeting Zoe, and before they could figure out that the kid with the black fire around was the bigger problem, the wooden planks at their feet sprouted burned and they jumped back. Zoe let loose two quick arrows that exploded at their feet in clouds of sulfurous yellow smoke. Fart arrows! The guards started coughing. The manticore shot spines in our direction, but they ricocheted off my lion's coat.

"Theseus," Percy said, "tell Bessie to dive deep and stay down!"

"Moooooo!" I translated. I could only hope that Bessie got the message.

"The cow…" Thalia muttered, still in a daze.

"Come on!" I pulled her along as we ran up the stairs to the shopping center on the pier.

We dashed around the corner of the nearest store. I heard the manticore shouting at his minions, "Get them!" Tourists screamed as the guards shot blindly into the air. We scrambled to the end of the pier. We hid behind a little kiosk filled with souvenir crystals—wind chimes and dream catchers and stuff like that, glittering in the sunlight. There was a water fountain next to us. Down below, a bunch of sea lions were sunning themselves on the rocks. The whole of San Francisco Bay spread out before us: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the green hills and fog beyond that to the north. A picture-perfect moment, except for the fact that we were about to die and the world was going to end.

"Go over the side!" Zoe told Percy. "You can escape in the sea, Percy. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus."

She was right, but he couldn't do it.

"I won't leave you guys," Percy said. "We fight together."

"You have to get word to camp!" I said. "At least let them know what's going on!"

Then I noticed the crystals making rainbows in the sunlight. There was a drinking fountain next to me… "Get word to camp," he muttered. "Good idea."

he uncapped tsunami and slashed off the top of the water fountain. Water burst out of the busted pipe and sprayed all over us.

Thalia and I both gasped as the water hit us. The fog seemed to clear from her eyes. "Are you crazy?" she asked.

But I understood. I was already fishing around in my pockets for a coin. Percy threw a golden drachma into the rainbows created by the mist and yelled, "O goddess, accept my offering!"

The mist rippled.

"Camp Half-Blood!" He said.

And there, shimmering in the Mist right next to us, was the last person I wanted to see: Mr. D, wearing his leopard-skin jogging suit and rummaging through the refrigerator.

He looked up lazily. "Do you mind?"

"Where's Chiron!" Percy shouted.

"How rude." Mr. D took a swig from a jug of grape juice. "Is that how you say hello?"

"Hello," I amended. "We're about to die! Where's Chiron?"

Mr. D considered that. I wanted to scream at him to hurry up, but I knew that wouldn't work. Behind us, footsteps and shouting—the manticore's troops were closing in. "About to die," Mr. D mused. "How exciting. I'm afraid Chiron isn't here. Would you like me to take a message?"

Percy looked at us. "We're dead."

Thalia gripped her spear. She looked like her old angry self again. "Then we'll die fighting."

"How noble," Mr. D said, stifling a yawn. "So what is the problem, exactly?"

I didn't see that it would make any difference, but I told him about the Ophiotaurus.

"Mmm." He studied the contents of the fridge. "So that's it. I see."

"You don't even care!" Percy screamed. "You'd just as soon watch us die!"

"Let's see. I think I'm in the mood for pizza tonight."

I wanted to slash through the rainbow and disconnect, but we didn't have time. The manticore screamed, "There!" And we were surrounded. Two of the guards stood behind him.

The other two appeared on the roofs of the pier shops above us. The manticore threw off his coat and transformed into his true self, his lion claws extended and his spiky tail bristling with poison barbs.

"Excellent," he said. He glanced at the apparition in the mist and snorted. "Alone, without any real help. Wonderful."

"You could ask for help," Mr. D murmured to me, as if this were an amusing thought.

"You could say please."

When wild boars fly, I thought. There was no way we were going to die begging a slob like Mr. D, just so he could laugh as we all got gunned down.

Zoe readied her arrows. I summoned hellhounds. Thalia raised her shield, and I noticed a tear running down her cheek. Suddenly it occurred to me: this had happened to her before.

She had been cornered on Half-Blood Hill. She'd willingly given her life for her friends. But this time, she couldn't save us.

How could I let that happen to her? "Please, Mr. D," Percy muttered. "Help."

Of course, nothing happened.

The manticore grinned. "Spare the daughter of Zeus. She will join us soon enough. Kill the others."

I smirk

The men raised their guns, and something strange happened. You know how you feel when all the blood rushes to your head, like if you hang upside down and turn right-side up too quickly? There was a rush like that all around me, and a sound like a huge sigh. The sunlight tinged with purple. I smelled grapes and something more sour—wine.

SNAP! It was the sound of many minds breaking at the same time. The sound of madness. One guard put his pistol between his teeth like it was a bone and ran around on all fours. Two others dropped their guns and started waltzing with each other. The fourth began doing what looked like an Irish clogging dance. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so terrifying.

"No!" screamed the manticore. "I will deal with you myself!"

His tail bristled, but the planks under his paws erupted into grape vines, which immediately began wrapping around the monster's body, sprouting new leaves and clusters of green baby grapes that ripened in seconds as the manticore shrieked, until he was engulfed in a huge mass of vines, leaves, and full clusters of purple grapes. Finally the grapes stopped shivering, and I had a feeling that somewhere inside there, the manticore was no more.

"Well," said Dionysus, closing his refrigerator. "That was fun."

Percy stared at him, horrified. "How could you… How did you—"

"Such gratitude," he muttered. "The mortals will come out of it. Too much explaining to do if I made their condition permanent. I hate writing reports to Father."

He stared resentfully at Thalia. "I hope you learned your lesson, girl. It isn't easy to resist power, is it?"

Thalia blushed as if she were ashamed.

"Mr. D,"I said in amazement. "You… you saved us.

"Mmm. Don't make me regret it, son of Hades. Now get going, Percy Jackson. I've bought you a few hours at most."

"The Ophiotaurus," Percy said. "Can you get it to camp?"

Mr. D sniffed. "I do not transport livestock. That's your problem."

"But where do we go?"

Dionysus looked at Zoe. "Oh, I think the huntress knows. You must enter at sunset today, you know, or all is lost. Now good-bye. My pizza is waiting."

"Mr. D," Percy said.

He raised his eyebrow.

"You called me by my right name," I said. "You called me Percy Jackson." "I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson. Now off with you!"

He waved his hand, and his image disappeared in the mist.

All around us, the manticore's minions were still acting completely nuts. One of them had found our friend the homeless guy, and they were having a serious conversation about metal angels from Mars. Several other guards were harassing the tourists, making animal noises and trying to steal their shoes.

I looked at Zoe. "What did he mean… 'You know where to go'?"

Her face was the color of the fog. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer.

"The garden of my sisters," she said. "I must go home."

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	22. the garden of the Hesperides

ch.21

"We will never make it," Zoe said. "We are moving too slow. But we cannot leave the Ophiotaurus."

"Mooo," the Ophiotaurus said. He swam next to me as we jogged along the waterfront. We'd left the shopping center pier far behind. We were heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was a lot farther than I'd realized. The sun was already dipping in the west.

"I don't get it," Percy said. "Why do we have to get there at sunset?"

"The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," Zoe said. "We can only enter their garden as day changes to night."

"What happens if we miss it?"

"Tomorrow is winter solstice. If we miss sunset tonight, we would have to wait until tomorrow evening. And by then, the Olympian Council will be over. We must free Lady Artemis tonight."

Or Annabeth will be dead, I thought, but I didn't say that.

"We need a car," Thalia said.

"But what about Bessie?" Percy asked.

I stopped my his tracks. "I've got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"

"Well, yeah," he said. "I mean, he was in Long Island Sound. Then he just popped into the water at Hoover Dam. And now he's here."

"So maybe I could Shadow travel him back to Long Island Sound,converting my shadow travel with his power," I said. "Then Chiron could get him to Olympus."

Percy stared at me.I am no fan of the water.

"I'm the only one who can talk to him," I said. "It makes sense." I bent down and said a prayer under my breath

"a prayer to mom that my plan works," I said. "That should help,maybe. Percy, pray to your dad, too. See if he will grant us safe passage through the seas."

He didn't understand how we could possibly teleport back to Long Island from California.

Then again, monsters didn't travel the same way as humans. we'd seen plenty evidence of that.

He tried to concentrate on the waves, the smell of the ocean, the sound of the tide.

"Dad," He said. "Help us. Get the Ophiotaurus and Theseus safely to camp. Protect them at sea."

"A prayer like that needs a sacrifice," Thalia said. "Something big."

He thought for a second. Then he took off his coat.

"Percy," I said. "Are you sure? That lion skin… that's really helpful. Hercules used it!"

As soon as I said that, he realized something.

e glanced at Zoe, who was watching me carefully. I realized I did know who Zoe's hero had been—the one who'd ruined her life, gotten her kicked out of her family, and never even mentioned how she'd helped him: Hercules, a hero I'd admired all my life.

"If I'm going to survive," he said, "it won't be because I've got a lion-skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."

He threw the coat into the bay. It turned back into a golden lion skin, flashing in the light.

Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into sunlight on the water.

The sea breeze picked up.

I took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."

Zoe asks,"how will you get back to us?"

I smile,"With Artemis' blessing I can shadow travel anywhere under the moon as long as some type of magic stops me,but this won't."

I jumped in the water and immediately began to Ophiotaurus glided next to me and let me take hold of his neck.

"Be careful," Percy told us.

"We will," I said. "Okay, um… Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's east.

Over that way."

"Moooo?" Bessie said.

"Yes," I answered. "Long Island. It's this island. And… it's long. Oh, let's just start." "Mooo!"

Bessie lurched forward. He started to submerge and I said, "I can't breathe underwater! Just thought I'd mention—" Glub! Under we went and I concentrated

We soon were in the lake at camp half-blood. I jumped out of the water quickly and dried my self off in seconds before I run up to Chiron and tell him what has happened,it has been an hour the moon is slowly rising,I say,

"That's my cue,see ya Chiron."

I then picture the garden of the Hesperides and the shadows grab me and I instantly appear in a car right beside Thalia I smile,"I'm back."  
She jumps in surprise.I sit there and listen as Percy starts a conversation

"So that's the Mountain of Despair?" Percy asked.

"Yes," Zoe said tightly.

"Why do they call it that?"

She was silent for almost a mile before answering. "After the war between the Titans and the gods, many of the Titans were punished and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown into Tartarus. Kronos's right-hand man, the general of his forces, was imprisoned up there, on the summit, just beyond the Garden of the Hesperides."

"The General," Percy said. Clouds seemed to be swirling around its peak, as though the mountain was drawing them in, spinning them like a top. "What's going on up there? A storm?"

Zoe didn't answer. I got the feeling she knew exactly what the clouds meant, and she didn't like it.

"We have to concentrate," Thalia said. "The Mist is really strong here."

"The magical kind or the natural kind?" Percy asked.

"Both." The gray clouds swirled even thicker over the mountain, and we kept driving straight toward them. We were out of the forest now, into wide open spaces of cliffs and grass and rocks and fog.

I happened to glance down at the ocean as we passed a scenic curve, and I saw something that made me jump out of my seat.

"Look!" But we turned a corner and the ocean disappeared behind the hills.

"What?" Thalia asked.

"A big white ship," Percy said. "Docked near the beach. It looked like a cruise ship."

Her eyes widened. "Luke's ship?"

I wanted to say I wasn't sure. It might be a coincidence. But I knew better. The Princess Andromeda, Luke's demon cruise ship, was docked at that beach. That's why he'd sent his ship all the way down to the Panama Canal. It was the only way to sail it from the East Coast to California.

"We will have company, then," Zoe said grimly. "Kronos's army."

I was about to answer, when suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Thalia shouted, "Stop the car. NOW!"

Zoe must've sensed something was wrong, because she slammed on the brakes without question. The yellow VW spun twice before coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff.

"Out!" Thalia opened the door and pushed me hard. We both rolled onto the pavement.

The next second: BOOOM! Lightning flashed, and Dr. Chase's Volkswagen erupted like a canary-yellow grenade. I probably would've been killed by shrapnel except for Thalia's shield, which appeared over me. I heard a sound like metal ram, and when I opened my eyes, we were surrounded by wreckage. Part of the VW's fender had impaled itself in the street. The smoking hood was spinning in circles. Pieces of yellow metal were strewn across the road.

I swallowed the taste of smoke out of my mouth, and looked at Thalia. "You saved my life."

"One shall perish by a parent's hand" she muttered. "Curse him. He would destroy me? Me?"

It took me a second to realize she was talking about her dad. "Oh, hey, that couldn't have been Zeus's lightning bolt. No way."

"Whose, then?" Thalia demanded.

"I don't know. Zoe said Kronos's name. Maybe he—" Thalia shook her head, looking angry and stunned. "No. That wasn't it."

"Wait," I said. "Where's Zoe? Zoe!"

We both got up and ran around the blasted VW. Nothing inside. Nothing either direction down the road. I looked down the cliff. No sign of her.

"Zoe!" I shouted.

Then she was standing right next to me, pulling me by my arm. "Silence, fool! Do you want to wake Ladon?"

"You mean we're here?"

"Very close," she said. "Follow me."

Sheets of fog were drifting right across the road. Zoe stepped into one of them, and when the fog passed, she was no longer there. Thalia and I looked at each other.

"Concentrate on Zoe," Thalia advised. "We are following her. Go straight into the fog and keep that in mind."

"Wait, Thalia. About what happened back on the pier… I mean, with the manticore and the sacrifice—"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You wouldn't actually have… you know?"

She hesitated. "I was just shocked. That's all."

"Zeus didn't send that lighting bolt at the car. It was Kronos. He's trying to manipulate you, make you angry at your dad."

She took a deep breath. "Theseus, I know you're trying to make me feel better. Thanks.

But come on. We need to go."

She stepped into the fog, into the Mist, and I followed.

When the fog cleared, I was still on the side of the mountain, but the road was dirt. The grass was thicker. The sunset made a bloodred slash across the sea. The summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of us. And it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the garden of twilight, just like Percy'd seen in his dream.

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	23. We Meet the Dragon of Eternal Bad Breath

ch.22 We Meet the Dragon of Eternal Bad Breath

If it hadn't been for the enormous dragon, the garden would've been the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. The grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colors they almost glowed in the dark. Stepping stones of polished black marble led around either side of a five-story-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples, and I don't mean yellow golden apples like in the grocery store. I mean real golden apples. I can't describe why they were so appealing, but as soon as I smelled their fragrance, I knew that one bite would be the most delicious thing I'd ever tasted.

"The apples of immortality," Thalia said. "Hera's wedding gift from Zeus."

I wanted to step right up and pluck one, except for the dragon coiled around the tree.

Now, I don't know what you think of when I say dragon. Whatever it is, it's not scary enough. The serpent's body was as thick as a booster rocket, glinting with coppery scales. He had more heads than I could count, as if a hundred deadly pythons had been fused together.

He appeared to be asleep. The heads lay curled in a big spaghetti-like mound on the grass, all the eyes closed.

Then the shadows in front of us began to move. There was a beautiful, eerie singing, like voices from the bottom of a well. I reached for Mortem and Percy Tsunami, but Zoe stopped my hand.

Four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked very much like Zoe. They all wore white Greek chitons. Their skin was like caramel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders. It was strange, but I'd never realized how beautiful Zoe was until I saw her siblings, the Hesperides. They looked just like Zoe—gorgeous, and probably very dangerous.

"Sisters," Zoe said.

"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see three half-bloods and a Hunter. All of whom shall soon die."

"You've got it wrong." Percy and I stepped forward. "Nobody is going to die."

The girls studied me and Percy. They had eyes like volcanic rock, glassy and completely black.

"Perseus and Theseus Jackson," one of them said.

"Yes," mused another. "I do not see why the son of Poseidon is a threat."

"Who said we were a threat?"

The first Hesperid glanced behind her, toward the top of the mountain. "They fear thee.

They are unhappy that this one has not yet killed thee."

She pointed at Thalia.

"Tempting sometimes," Thalia admitted. "But no, thanks. He's my friend."

"There are no friends here, daughter of Zeus," the girl said. "Only enemies. Go back."

"Not without Annabeth," Thalia said. "And Artemis," Zoe said. "We must approach the mountain."

"You know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him."

"Artemis must be freed," Zoe insisted. "Let us pass."

The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."

"He will not hurt me," Zoe said.

"No? And what about thy so-called friends?"

Then Zoe did the last thing I expected. She shouted, "Ladon! Wake!"

The dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain of pennies. The Hesperides yelped and scattered. The lead girl said to Zoe, "Are you mad?"

"You never had any courage, sister," Zoe said. "That is thy problem."

The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoe took a step forward, her arms raised.

"Zoe, don't," Thalia said. "You're not a Hesperid anymore. He'll kill you."

"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoe said. "Skirt around the edges of the garden.

Go up the mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."

"Should," I said. "Not exactly reassuring."

"It is the only way," she said. "Even the three of us together cannot fight him."

Ladon opened his mouths. The sound of a hundred heads hissing at once sent a shiver down my back, and that was before his breath hit me. The smell was like acid. It made my eyes burn, my skin crawl, and my hair stand on end. I remembered the time a rat had died inside our apartment wall in New York in the middle of the summer. This stench was like that, except a hundred times stronger, and mixed with the smell of chewed eucalyptus. I promised myself right then that I would never ask a school nurse for another cough drop.

I wanted to draw my sword. But then I remembered my dream of Zoe and Hercules, and how Hercules had failed in a head-on assault. I decided to trust Zoe's judgment.

Thalia and I went left. Percy went right. Zoe walked straight toward the monster.

"It's me, my little dragon," Zoe said. "Zoe has come back."

Ladon shifted forward, then back. Some of the mouths closed. Some kept hissing.

Dragon confusion. Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows. The voice of the eldest whispered, "Fool." "I used to feed thee by hand," Zoe continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"

The dragon's eyes glinted.

Thalia,Percy and I were about halfway around the garden. Ahead, I could see a single rocky trail leading up to the black peak of the mountain. The storm swirled above it, spinning on the summit like it was the axis for the whole world.

We'd almost made it out of the meadow when something went wrong. I felt the dragon's mood shift. Maybe Zoe got too close. Maybe the dragon realized he was hungry. Whatever the reason, he lunged at Zoe.

Two thousand years of training kept her alive. She dodged one set of slashing fangs and tumbled under another, weaving through the dragon's heads as she ran in our direction, gagging from the monster's horrible breath.

I drew Mortem to help.

"No!" Zoe panted. "Run!"

The dragon snapped at her side, and Zoe cried out. Thalia uncovered Aegis, and the dragon hissed. In his moment of indecision, Zoe sprinted past us up the mountain, and we followed.

The dragon didn't try to pursue. He hissed and stomped the ground, but I guess he was well trained to guard that tree. He wasn't going to be lured off even by the tasty prospect of eating some heroes.

We ran up the mountain as the Hesperides resumed their song in the shadows behind us.

The music didn't sound so beautiful to me now—more like the sound track for a funeral.

At the top of mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses.

Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.

"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe.

"Yes," Zoe said. "It was not here before. This is bad."

"What's Mount Othrys?" Percy asked, feeling like a fool as usual.

"The mountain fortress of the Titans," Zoe said. "In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was—" She winced and held her side.

"You're hurt," I said. "Let me see."

"No! It is nothing. I was saying… in the first war, Othrys was blasted to pieces." "But… how is it here?"

Thalia looked around cautiously as we picked our way through the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways. "It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on this mountain, is not good."

"Why?"

"This is Atlas's mountain," Zoe said. "Where he holds—" She froze. Her voice was ragged with despair. "Where he used to hold up the sky."

We had reached the summit. A few yards ahead of us, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains. This is what I had seen in my dream. It hadn't been a cavern roof that Artemis was forced to hold. It was the roof of the world.

"My lady!" Zoe rushed forward, but Artemis said, "Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now."

Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. I had never seen a goddess in pain before, but the weight of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis.

Zoe was crying. She ran forward despite Artemis's protests, and tugged at the chains.

A booming voice spoke behind us: "Ah, how touching."

We turned. The General was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. Annabeth stood at Luke's side. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat.

I met her eyes, trying to ask her a thousand questions. There was just one message she was sending me, though: RUN.

"Luke," Thalia snarled. "Let her go."

Luke's smile was weak and pale. He looked even worse than he had three days ago in D.C. "That is the General's decision, Thalia. But it's good to see you again."

Thalia spat at him.

The General chuckled. "So much for old friends. And you, Zoe. It's been a long time.

How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."

"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."

"Wait a second," Percy said. "You're Atlas?" The General glanced at me. "So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods.

Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

"You're not going to hurt Zoe" I said. "I won't let you."

The General sneered. "You have no right to interfere, little hero. This is a family matter." I frowned. "A family matter?"

"Yes," Zoe said bleakly. "Atlas is my father."


	24. Quest fullfilled

ch.23 the prophecy fullfilled

The horrible thing was: I could see the family resemblance. Atlas had the same regal expression as Zoe, the same cold proud look in his eyes that Zoe sometimes got when she was mad, though on him it looked a thousand times more evil. He was all the things I'd originally disliked about Zoe, with none of the good I'd come to appreciate.

"Let Artemis go," Zoe demanded.

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

Zoe opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoe! I forbid you."

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.

"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

I looked at Annabeth. She was desperately trying to tell me something. She motioned her head toward Luke. But all I could do was stare at her. I hadn't noticed before, but something about her had changed. Her blond hair was now streaked with gray.

"From holding the sky," Thalia muttered, as if she'd read my mind. "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"

Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

He approached us, studying Thalia and me. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," I said. "And let's see." "Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly.

It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

"So you're another coward," I said.

Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Thalia.

"As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. If I didn't hate his guts so much, I almost would've felt sorry for Kim.

"Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"

He waved his hand, and next to us a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus.

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

I see Malcom walk up smirking at my expression,"Oh look at that theseus finally got a girlfriend,a daughter of Zeus no less."

I step forward,"Malcom,how could you do this to our sister."

He says,"You mean my sister,you are nothing but the lowly spawn of Hades,mom might have adopted you but you aren't our brother."

I growl,"Malcom,I looked up to you and Luke too,you guys were seasoned warriors,I always thought of you as a brother to me just as much as Percy is my brother."

He says,"Really,prove it,convince Thalia to surrender to us."

I yell and grab Malcom shadow traveling a bit away I yell,"I've worked on my powers but what you've done angers me more than Mr.D,my fatal flaw is the same as Percy's and you know what it is!"

He smiles,"Yes,Loyalty."

"Now I'll show you what happens when you betray my trust!"

I summon three hell hounds and Ceberus,he looks at the three headed dog and I see him stare at it and see his pants get wet,I laugh,"Sick'em."

They jump at him and he runs.I look at Artemis and say,"Milady let me hold the sky,we both know I can take it,better than anyone here my dad is basically the god of pain,it'll only make me stronger,it is the wise thing,you are the one that can beat Atlas."

Percy comes over and says,"I'll help."

I took out Mortem and slashed through her chains. Then I stepped next to her and braced myself on one knee—holding up my hands—and touched the cold, heavy clouds. For a moment, Artemis and I bore the weight together. It was the heaviest thing I'd ever felt, as if I were being crushed under a thousand trucks. I wanted to black out from the pain, but I breathed deeply. I can do this.

Then Artemis slipped out from under the burden, and I held it alone until Percy stepped in and we held it , I tried many times to explain what it felt like. I couldn' muscle in my body turned to fire. My bones felt like they were melting. I wanted to scream, but I didn't have the strength to open my held it through the and I concentrated on breathing. If we could just keep the sky aloft a few more seconds. I thought about Li-Anne, who had given her life so we could get here. If she could do that, I could hold the vision turned fuzzy. Everything was tinged with red. I caught glimpses of the battle, but I wasn't sure if I was seeing clearly. There was Atlas in full battle armor, jabbing with his javelin, laughing insanely as he fought. And Artemis, a blur of silver. She had two wicked hunting knives, each as long as her arm, and she slashed wildly at the Titan, dodging and leaping with unbelievable grace. She seemed to change form as she maneuvered. She was a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. Or perhaps that was just my fevered brain. Zoe shot arrows at her father, aiming for the chinks in his armor. He roared in pain each time one found its mark, but they affected him like bee stings. He just got madder and kept fighting.

Thalia and Luke went spear on sword, lightning still flashing around them. Thalia pressed Luke back with the aura of her shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration.

"Yield!" Thalia yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke."

He bared his teeth. "Well see, my old friend."

Sweat poured down my face. My hands were slippery. My shoulders would've screamed with agony if they could. I felt like the vertebrae in my spine were being welded together by a blowtorch. Atlas advanced, pressing Artemis. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back toward me.

Get ready, she spoke in my mind.

I was losing the ability to think through the pain. My response was something like Agggghh-owwwwwwww.

"You fight well for a girl." Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."

He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. I saw the trick coming.

Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill.

"No!" Zoe screamed. She leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn's horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks.

I wanted to shout her name, run to her aid, but I couldn't speak or move. I couldn't even see where Zoe had landed. Then Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face.

Artemis seemed to be wounded. She didn't get up.

"The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward.

As fast as thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her, I saw him coming down on top of me and Percy,we realized what would happen.I loosened my grip on the sky, and as Atlas slammed into me I didn't try to hold on. I let myself be pushed out of the way and rolled for all I was worth me and Percy both breathing weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky.

But it was too late.

"Noooooo!" He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!"

Atlas was trapped under his old burden.

I tried to stand and fell back again, dazed from pain. My body felt like it was burning up.

Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but still they fought on, next to the golden coffin. Thalia had tears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat.

He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat. For a moment, there was silence.

"Well?" Luke asked. He tried to hide it, but I could hear fear in his voice.

Thalia trembled with fury.

Behind her, Annabeth came scrambling, finally free from her bonds. Her face was bruised and streaked with dirt. "Don't kill him!"

"He's a traitor," Thalia said. "A traitor!"

In my daze, I realized that Artemis was no longer with me. She had run off toward the black rocks where Zoe had fallen.

"We'll bring Luke back," Annabeth pleaded. "To Olympus. He… he'll be useful."

"Is that what you want, Thalia?" Luke sneered. "To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please your dad?"

Thalia hesitated, and Luke made a desperate grab for her spear.

"No!" Annabeth shouted. But it was too late. Without thinking, Thalia kicked Luke away. He lost his balance, terror on his face, and then he fell.

"Luke!" Annabeth screamed.

We rushed to the cliff's edge. Below us, the army from the Princess Andromeda had stopped in amazement. They were staring at Luke's broken form on the rocks. Despite how much I hated him, I couldn't stand to see it. I wanted to believe he was still alive, but that was impossible. The fall was fifty feet at least, and he wasn't moving.

One of the giants looked up and growled, "Kill them!"

Thalia was stiff with grief, tears streaming down her cheeks. I pulled her back as a wave of javelins sailed over our heads. We ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as we passed.

"Lady Artemis!" I yelled.

The goddess looked up, her face almost as grief-stricken as Thalia's. Zoe lay in the goddess's arms. She was breathing. Her eyes were open. But still… "The wound is poisoned," Artemis said.

"Atlas poisoned her?" I asked.

"No," the goddess said. "Not Atlas." She showed us the wound in Zoe's side. I'd almost forgotten her scrape with Ladon the dragon. The bite was much worse than Zoe had let on. I could barely look at the wound. She had charged into battle against her father with a horrible cut already sapping her strength.

"The stars," Zoe murmured. "I cannot see them."

"Nectar and ambrosia," Percy said. "Come on! We have to get her some."

No one moved. Grief hung in air. The army of Kronos was just below the rise. Even Artemis was too shocked to stir. We might've met our doom right there, but then I heard a strange buzzing noise.

Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky.

"Get away from my daughter!" Dr. Chase called down, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.

"Dad?" yelled Annabeth in disbelief.

"Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by.

This shook Artemis out of her grief. She stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking around for another strafe.

"A brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come, We must get Zoe away from here."

She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoe's eyes were fluttering.

"Hang in there!" Percy told her. "It'll be all right!"

The Sopwith Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. I realized with amazement that somehow Dr. Chase must've gotten hold of celestial bronze to fashion his bullets. The first row of snake women wailed as the machine gun's volley blew them into sulfurous yellow powder.

"That's… my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement.

We didn't have time to admire his flying. The giants and snake women were already recovering from their surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon.

Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky, drawn by the most beautiful deer I had ever seen. It landed right next to us.

"Get in," Artemis said. Annabeth helped me get Thalia on board. Then I helped Artemis with Zoe. We wrapped Zoe in a blanket as Artemis pulled the reins and the chariot sped away from the mountain, straight into the air.

"Like Santa Claus's sleigh," Percy murmured, still dazed with pain.

Artemis took time to look back at me. "Indeed, young half-blood. And where do you think that legend came from?"

Seeing us safely away, Dr. Chase turned his biplane and followed us like an honor guard. It must have been one of the strangest sights ever, even for the Bay Area: a silver flying chariot pulled by deer, escorted by a Sopwith us, the army of Kronos roared in anger as they gathered on the summit of Mount Tamalpais, but the loudest sound was the voice of Atlas, bellowing curses against the gods as he struggled under the weight of the sky.


	25. Getting back to camp

ch.25 getting back to camp

Flying was bad enough for a son of Hades, but flying straight up to Zeus's palace, with thunder and lightning swirling around it, was even worse.

We circled over midtown Manhattan, making one complete orbit around Mount Olympus. I'd only been there once before, traveling by elevator up to the secret six hundredth floor of the Empire State Building. This time, if it was possible, Olympus amazed me even more.

In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from bloodred to indigo. Apparently no one ever slept on Olympus.

The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist here. I caught the scent of the gardens in full bloom, jasmine and roses and even sweeter things I couldn't name. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes.

Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.

Our pegasi set us down in the outer courtyard, in front of huge silver gates. Before I could even think to knock, the gates opened by themselves.

"Yeah." I didn't know why, but I had a sense of doom. I'd never seen all the gods together. I knew any one of them could blast me to dust, and a few of them would like to.

Blackjack and his friends flew off, leaving Thalia, Annabeth,Percy, and me alone. For a minute we stood there regarding the palace, the way we'd stood together in front of Westover Hall, what seemed like a million years we walk through Olympus we run into Bianca,my little sister,and she joins usI already know why she joining us but iI keep it to myself.

And then, side by side, we walked into the throne room.

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one, Zoe the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn. All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess was about fifteen feet tall, and I'm telling you, if you've ever had a dozen all-powerful super-huge beings turn their eyes on you at once… Well, suddenly, facing monsters seemed like a picnic.

"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said.

"Mooo!"

That's when I noticed Bessie and Grover.

A sphere of water was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. Bessie was swimming happily around, swishing his serpent tail and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble.

Bessie splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled.

I looked nervously at my father,Hades. He was dressed similar to the last time I'd seen him: Dark robes with tortured souls woven into the fabric,slicked back greasy hair,and deep onyx eyes. I wasn't sure how he would feel about seeing me again,He smiled.

Grover gave Annabeth and Thalia big hugs. Then he grasped Percy's arms. "Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them! They can't do it!"

"Do what?" Percy asked.

"Heroes," Artemis called.

The goddess slid down from her throne and turned to human size, a young auburn-haired girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked toward us, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight.

"The Council has been informed of your deeds," Artemis told us. "They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act."

There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they weren't all happy with this plan, but nobody protested. "At my Lord Zeus's command," Artemis said, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause.

Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes…"

She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?"

She looked around at the assembled gods, meeting their faces individually. Zeus in his dark pin-striped suit, his black beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparking with energy. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered colors like peacock feathers. The Lady Hera.

On Zeus's right, my father Poseidon. Next to him, a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head, and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers.

The Lord of the Forges, Hephaestus.

Hermes winked at Percy. He was wearing a business suit today, checking messages on his caduceus mobile phone. Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with his shades on. He had iPod headphones on, so I wasn't sure he was even listening, but he gave me and Percy a thumbs-up.

Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grape vine between his fingers. And Ares, well, he sat on his chrome-and-leather throne, glowering at Percy while he sharpened a knife.

On the ladies' side of the throne room, a dark-haired goddess in green robes sat next to Hera on a throne woven of apple-tree branches. Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. Next to her sat a beautiful gray-eyed woman in an elegant white dress. She could only be Annabeth's mother, Athena. Then there was Aphrodite, who smiled at Percy knowingly and made him blush in spite of myself.

All the Olympians in one place. So much power in this room it was a miracle the whole palace didn't blow apart.

"I gotta say"—Apollo broke the silence—"these kids did okay." He cleared his throat and began to recite: "Heroes win laurels—"

"Um, yes, first class," Hermes interrupted, like he was anxious to avoid Apollo's poetry,I couldn't blame him.

"All in favor of not disintegrating them?"

A few tentative hands went up—Demeter, Aphrodite.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed at Thalia,Percy, and I. "These three are dangerous,ecpecially Mr. Blackfire right there. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits."

Hades says,"I agree with Poseidon,you will not touch our sons,my son is developing faster than any other,he is strong."

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well." Thalia blushed. She studied the floor. I knew how she felt. I'd hardly ever talked to my father, much less gotten a compliment.

The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here with the other three."

"Mother!" Annabeth said. "How can you—"

Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncles, Poseidon and Hades, chose to break their oath not to have more we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods… such as Thalia,Theseus and Percy… are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point,although I do love Theseus he is dangeous."

"Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'—"

He started to get up, but a grape vine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down.

"Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later."

Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?"

Dionysus gazed down at us wearily. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?"

"I do not pass judgment," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide."

"I will not have them punished," Artemis said. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."

"Calm down, sis," Apollo said. "Jeez, you need to lighten up."

"Don't call me sis! I will reward them."

"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?"

A lot of nodding heads.

It took Percy a second to realize what they were saying. Then my heart turned to lead.

"Bessie? You want to destroy Bessie?"

"Mooooooo!" Bessie protested.

Poseidon frowned. "You have named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?" "Dad," Percy said, "he's just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. You can't destroy him."

Poseidon shifted uncomfortably. "Percy, the monster's power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or—"

"You can't," he insisted. Percy looked at Zeus. He probably should have been afraid of him, but Percy stared him right in the eye. "Controlling the prophecies never works. Isn't that true? Besides, Bess—the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It's just as wrong as… as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they might do. It's wrong!"

Zeus seemed to consider this. His eyes drifted to his daughter Thalia. "And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we can let that possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says."

"You have to trust them," Annabeth spoke up. "Sir, you have to trust them."

Zeus scowled. "Trust a hero?"

"Annabeth is right," Artemis said. "Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant.

And I intend to choose one. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately."

Zeus beckoned Artemis forward. He leaned down and listened as she spoke in his ear.

A feeling of panic seized me. "Annabeth," Percy said under his breath. "Don't."

She frowned at him. "What?"

"Look, I need to tell you something," he continued. The words came stumbling out of me.

"I couldn't stand it if… I don't want you to—"

"Percy?" she said. "You look like you're going to be sick."

And that's how I felt. I wanted to say more, but my tongue betrayed me. It wouldn't move because of the fear in my stomach. And then Artemis turned.

"I shall have a new lieutenant," she announced. "If she will accept it."

"No," I murmured.

"Thalia," Artemis said. "Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?"

Stunned silence filled the room. I stared at Thalia, unable to believe what I was hearing.

Annabeth smiled. She squeezed Thalia's hand and let it go, as if she'd been expecting this all along.

"I won't," Thalia said firmly,"I love Thesues too much,he is my boyfriend after all."

Zeus glares at me but says smiles,"As I thought that is why Bianca is here,will you do it Bianca"

Dad rose, his eyes full of concern. "My daughter, consider well—"

"Dad," she said. "I want to join Artemis."

She knelt before the goddess and began the words I remembered from Percy telling me about Li-Anne's oath, what seemed like so long ago. "I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men…"

Afterward,Bianca did something that surprised me almost as much as the pledge. She came over to me, smiled, and in front of the whole assembly, she gave me a big hug.

I smiled.

When she pulled away and gripped my shoulders, I said, "Um… aren't you supposed to not do that anymore? Hug boys, I mean?"

"I can still hug my brother though," she corrected. "I must join the Hunt, Theseus. I want to spend time with other girls that won't annoy me about which boy I you're a hero. You will be part of the prophecy."

"Great," I muttered.

"I'm proud to be your sister."

She hugged Annabeth, who was trying hard not to cry. Then she even hugged Percy, who looked ready to pass out.

Then Bianca went to stand by Artemis's side.

Then a green fire burst into life and three old ladies walk in saying,"We have learned about the prophecy,it seems that the child of the big three mention in the prophecy has a specific fatal flaw,Loyalty,that is what we found out,bye."

They quickly leave through the fire,everyine blinking and looking at me and Percy

"Now for the Ophiotaurus," Artemis said drawing everyone's attension.

"These boys are still dangerous," Dionysus warned. "The beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare the boy—"

"No." Percy looked around at all the gods. "Please. Keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here in Olympus. But you have to protect him."

"And why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.

"I'm only fourteen," I said. "If this prophecy is about me, that's two more years."

"Two years for Kronos to deceive you," Athena said. "Much can change in two years, my young hero."

"Mother!" Annabeth said, exasperated.

"It is only the truth, child. It is bad strategy to keep the animal alive. Or the boys." Poseidon and my father stood. "we will not have a sea creature destroyed, if we can help it."

Zeus asks,"why do you care Hades?"

Dad says,"Innocence is seen too much in the underworld."

Poseidon held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it: a twenty foot long bronze shaft with three spear tips that shimmered with blue, watery light. "I will vouch for the boys and the safety of the Ophiotaurus."

"You won't take it under the sea!" Zeus stood suddenly. "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."

"Brother, please," Poseidon sighed.

Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in his hand, a shaft of electricity that filled the whole room with the smell of ozone.

"Fine," Poseidon said. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers. The boy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor."

Dad says,"Niether will mine.I vouch for my son."

Zeus thought about this. "All in favor?"

To my surprise, a lot of hands went up. Dionysus abstained. So did Ares and Athena.

But everybody else… "We have a majority," Zeus decreed. "And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes… I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"

There are parties, and then there are huge, major, blowout parties. And then there are Olympian parties. If you ever get a choice, go for the Olympian.

The Nine Muses cranked up the tunes, and I realized the music was whatever you wanted it to be: the gods could listen to classical and the younger demigods heard hip-hop or whatever, and it was all the same sound track. No arguments. No fights to change the radio station. Just requests to crank it up.

Dionysus went around growing refreshment stands out of the ground, and a beautiful woman walked with him arm in arm—his wife, Ariadne. Dionysus looked happy for the first time. Nectar and ambrosia overflowed from golden fountains, and platters of mortal snack food crowded the banquet tables. Golden goblets filled with whatever drink you wanted.

Grover trotted around with a full plate of tin cans and enchiladas, and his goblet was full of double-espresso latte, which he kept muttering over like an incantation: "Pan! Pan!"

Gods kept coming over to congratulate me. Thankfully, they had reduced themselves to human size, so they didn't accidentally trample partygoers under their feet. Hermes started chatting with me, and he was so cheerful I hated to tell him what had happened to his least-favorite son, Luke, but before I could even get up the courage, Hermes got a call on his caduceus and walked away. Apollo told me I could drive his sun chariot any time, and if I ever wanted archery lessons— "Thanks," I told him. "But seriously, I'm no good at archery."

"Ah, nonsense," he said. "Target practice from the chariot as we fly over the U.S.? Best fun there is!"

I made some excuses and wove through the crowds that were dancing in the palace courtyards. I was looking for Thalia. Last I saw her, she'd been talking to her dad.

Then a man's voice behind me said, "You won't let me down, I hope."

I turned and found my smiling at me.

"Dad… hi."

"Hello, Theseus. You've done well."

His praise made me uneasy. I mean, it felt good, but I knew just how much he'd put himself on the line, vouching for me. It would've been a lot easier to let the others disintegrate me.

"I won't let you down," I promised.

He nodded. I had trouble reading gods' emotions, but I wondered if he had some doubts.

"Your friend Malcom—"

"He's not my friend," I blurted out. Then I realized it was probably rude to interrupt.

"Sorry."

"Your former friend Malcom," Dad corrected. "He once promised things like that. He was Athena's pride and joy. Just bear that in mind,Theseus. Even the bravest can fall."

"Malcom fell pretty hard," I agreed. "He wet his pants when I summoned Cerberus."

Dad laughs. "Yes, he did."

We laughed a bit before I resumed looking for Thalia I found her talking to Zeus I say,"Lord Zeus mind if I borrow my girlfriend."  
His eyes widen when I say Lord and he nods

The music was playing. People were dancing in the streets. I said, "I, uh, was thinking we got interrupted at Westover Hall. And… I think I owe you a dance."

She smiled slowly. "All right,deathbreath."

I smile,"Well my sky princess let's dance."

So I took her hand, and I don't know what everybody else heard, but to me it sounded like a slow dance: a little sad, but maybe a little hopeful, too.

Before I left Olympus, I decided to make a few calls. It wasn't easy, but I finally found a quiet fountain in a corner garden and sent an Iris-message to my brother, Nico, at camp. I told him about our adventures, and Bessie—he wanted to hear every detail about the cute baby cow serpent—and I assured him that Annabeth was laughed at the parts where me and Thalia had love momenta.

I then dug out my last golden drachma and made one more Iris-message.

"Sally Jackson," I said. "Elysium,the underworld."

The mist shimmered, and there was my mom at her kitchen table, laughing and holding hands with her friend Tom Tanner,a son of Dionysus .

I felt so embarrassed, I was about to wave my hand through the mist and cut the connection, but before I could, my mom saw me.

Her eyes got wide. She let go of Tom's hand real quick. "Oh, Tom meet Theseus!

"Hey Thess."

He left the room, and instantly my mom leaned toward the Iris-message. "Theseu! Are you all right?" "I'm, uh, fine. How's that paradise thing going?"

She pursed her lips. "It's fine. But that's not important. Tell me what's happened!"

I filled her in as quickly as I could. She sighed with relief when she heard that Annabeth was safe.

"I knew you could do it!" she said. "I'm so proud,good choice of girlfriends by the way."

"Yeah, well, I'd better let you get back to your paradise."

"Percy, I… Tom and I—"

"Mom, are you happy?"

The question seemed to take her by surprise. She thought for a moment. "Yes. I really am, Percy. Being around him makes me happy."

"Then it's cool. Seriously. Don't worry about me." The funny thing was, I meant it.

Compared to Mount Olympus, Manhattan was quiet. Friday before Christmas, but it was early in the morning, and hardly anyone was on Fifth Avenue. Argus, the many-eyed security chief, picked up Annabeth, Thalia,Percy, and I at the Empire State Building and ferried us back to camp through a light snowstorm. The Long Island Expressway was almost deserted.

As we trudged back up Half-Blood Hill to the pine tree where the Golden Fleece glittered, I half expected to see Bianca there, waiting for us. But she wasn't. She was long gone with Artemis and the rest of the Hunters, off on their next adventure.

Chiron greeted us at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches.

Annabeth,Thalia,Percy and I sat with Chiron and some of the other senior campers—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers. Even Clarisse from the Ares cabin was there, back from her secretive scouting mission. I knew she must've had a difficult quest, because she didn't even try to pulverize me. She had a new scar on her chin, and her dirty blond hair had been cut short and ragged, like someone had attacked it with a pair of safety scissors.

"I got news," she mumbled uneasily. "Bad news."

"I'll fill you in later," Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. "The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth!"

Annabeth smiled at us gratefully, which made Percy look away.

For some strange reason,

"Luke is alive," I said. "Annabeth was right."

Annabeth sat up. "How do you know?"

I tried not to feel annoyed by her interest. I told her what my dad had said about the Princess Andromeda.

"Well." Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "If the final battle does come when Percy is sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out."

I had a feeling that when she said "figure something out," she meant "get Luke to change his ways," which annoyed me even more.

Chiron's expression was gloomy. Sitting by the fire in his wheelchair, he looked really old. I mean… he was really old, but he usually didn't look it. "Two years may seem like a long time," he said. "But it is the blink of an eye. I still hope you are not the child of the prophecy, Percy. But if you are, then the second Titan war is almost upon us. Kronos's first strike will be here."

"How do you know?" I asked. "Why would he care about camp?"

"Because the gods use heroes as their tools," Chiron said simply. "Destroy the tools, and the gods will be crippled. Luke's forces will come here. Mortal, demigod, monstrous… We must be prepared. Clarisse's news may give us a clue as to how they will attack, but—"

There was a knock on the door, and Andromeda came huffing into the parlor, her cheeks bright red from the cold.

She was smiling, but she looked around anxiously. "Hey! Where's… where's my best friend?"

Dead silence. I stared at Chiron. I couldn't believe nobody had told her yet. And then I realized why. They'd been waiting for us to appear, to tell Andromeda in person.

That was the last thing we wanted to do. But we owed it to Li-Anne.

"Hey, Andromeda." Percy got up from his comfortable chair. "Let's take a walk, okay? We need to talk."

Later they come back Andromeda crying into her older brother's chest we all decide to go to bed calling it a night

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**Please review. **


	26. The labyrinth

**So yeah,Bianca's the lieutenant of the hunters of Artemis now. I'll put something about that in this chapter.**

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ch.26 The labyrinth

The last thing I wanted was for me to be stuck with Annabeth and Percy on a double date with them, Thalia, my daughter of Zeus girlfriend. I can't help but think about my little sister Bianca,who became a huntress of Artemis,not only that but the lieutenant of the hunters. Well on the bright side I don't have to protect her from guys. Now back to my walk with the girls, I was wearing a black T-shirt with a picture of Cerberus on it the caption red:

A dog with one head is run away scary,my dog has three heads and is piss your pants scary.,

A black jeans,a pair of black Nikes on my feet,my skull ring,the wristcuffs and armcuff,topping it all off with a black-fire necklace and camp necklace.

Annabeth in her usual orange camp T-shirt,jeans,camp necklace,and her hair in a ponytail.

Thalia on the other hand looked a bit different,same old punk clothing but her hair has grown out and she now has a camp necklace with a single clay bead a blue bead with a yellow lightning bolt on it.

I smile at the school as we walk to it,you see Percy wanted to spend a few years in school,so Chiron gave him an apartment for school decided to wait for him to get out of his orientation,I sit around making a ball of black-fire and bouncing it on my fingers. Soon the school bursts into flames and Thalia looks at me, I act offended,

"Hey just because I lit the Ares cabin on fire before we left doesn't mean I set everything on fire."

Thalia smiles and kisses me while Annabeth whispers,"Thalia's a bad influence on my adopted little brother,I'll talk to him later."

We run up as Percy bursts outside we're on and literally runs into Annabeth.

She angrily yells,"You're out early!"

He flinches and a redheaded girl run up saying,"Percy,wait up!"

I ask Percy,"So,Perce,what tried to kill you this time?"

He looks at Annabeth and says,"Empousa."

I say,"Guys gotta shadow travel somewhere,quick."

Before they could say anything I shadow travel to the underworld and appear in front of my father's throne,sitting in it is my father,Hades god of the underworld and some people call him the god of monsters, in his throne made of bone wearing his usual robes I kneel and say,

"Hello father,I am going to report,Empousai have attacked Percy."

He says,"I see those type of monsters are stirring,you will need more power if you are to win the war,I have decided to make you my prince when the war is over,not only that but I will make you god of life,souls,darkness and black-fire."(1)

I look at him,"Father how about we wait on the god thing a while after the war just to make sure nothing else comes up?"

He nods,"Okay but if you die along the way you will become a god just like Hercules did,I hear Zeus will be doing the same for his daughter,just remember you are my son,my pride,my joy,and my better self,just like Nico and Bianca,I wish to ask you to stay here in your room tonight,while your powers take a growth spurt."

I look at him,"My powers take a growth spurt?"

He asks,"Which power could you use easily first?"

I say,"shadows."

He says,"which one was the easiest to control?"

I say,"Black-fire."

He asks,"The strongest?"

I say,"Black-fire."

He nods,"Tonight your powers will grow twice as much as usual, your older brother,Perseus' are less dangerous and are only noticed in battle that is what puts Poseidon's children apart from mine and Zeus',as it is Zeus' children theirs is noticed if you watched them sleep,my children you notice if you are in a light area,like the camp,and Poseidon's children you only notice in battle,understand?"

I nod and he says,"Well let's hope you can,become stronger than Perseus,you are already a better swordsman,archer,and thinker."

I laugh at the says,"Now off with you to your room."

I smile and run to a room with the name Theseus written on it in bold,I walk into my room and see a huge T.V.,a PS3,some games,an Mp3 player, and a closet full of weapons and clothes.

The next day

I woke up and got dressed in roughly the same clothes just a shirt that says "I can raise the dead and give you a science lecture"

The picture is a guy holding his hand up and a zombie is coming from the ground the other hand using a pointer to explain cells,a black leather jacket which now holds a stygian iron knife,in a knife sheath on the left side of the jacket, and an mp3 player in the right pocket.

I shadow travel back to camp to find Percy in the basement looking in I decide to wait for him to come back comes back up and zooms past not noticing me and then I look down and see I was blending into the shadows I walk over to the arena to hear Annabeth say,

"-You shall delve in the endless maze

The dead,the traitor,and the lost one rise

You shall rise or fall by the ghost kings hand

the child of Athena's final stand."

I say,"Hi guys,my dad said I should join the quest,due to my underground abilities."

Everyone looks at me and Annabeth.

"Hey...We shouldn't jump to conclusions."Silena say,"Annabeth and Theseus aren't the only children of Athena."

"But who's this ghost king?"Beckendorf asks

Percy and Annabeth turn to me,"A ghost king is a son of Hades."

Chiron asks,"Anymore lines the prophecy sounds incomplete?"

Annabeth says,"I forget,something along the lines of destroy with a heroes final breath."

I say,"Let's just get to those who are going,this isn't a normal quest though the group can't be three and us still survive in the labyrinth,my dad said that it's dangerous enough for one person,but if you have more people the sanity in the group will remain intact."

Chiron nods, Annabeth says,"I choose the most powerful demigods here,Percy,Thalia and Thece,I choose Grover for the idea that Pan could be there,and we'll need Tyson."

Chiron nods once more,"At dawn you leave."

I walk over to the side,Thalia following,"Thalia,I have a pretty good idea on how this is gonna turn out,the child of Athena's final stand will be at the battle,and the ghost king is in fact me**(A/N:it is my story,so I can do that)**."

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**Yay,next chapter will be soon I'm rereading while writing this so bear with me.**

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**Explanations**

**1 This is one of the few things that will make things different I've decided it doesn't matter if the blood of Olympus comes out or not I'll do it anyway and go straight through it my own way.**


	27. Inside the labyrinth

**From here on out I will make the chapters 2,000 words or more instead of 1, I may do a sub chapter before the last Olympian,and please vote on my poll,so far I checked a few minutes ago and it only had 2 votes on it.  
**

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ch.27 Inside the labyrinth

Thalia looks at me,"Our fate is in your hands,great,keep us safe."

She moves in and kisses me quickly before pulling back and grabbing the stygian iron knife from my asks,"So I heard from Nico that you can sing?The campfire,tonight,bring that black guitar of yours."**(A/N:This has only one purpose,to make the characters completely calm and their minds clear,making them Badass when they go into the labyrinth)**

I ask myself,_How much did Nico tell her?_

I shake it off and get ready for it,I then decide to go talk to Percy I walk up to him and say, "Hey Percy Thalia asked me to sing at the campfire tonight are you going to do so for Annabeth?"

He says,"As long as I can borrow your band of spirits to help me."

I smile,"Sure I'll always help ya bro."

We both laugh a bit and go get ready choosing a song to sing.

We both smile at the campfire and I walk onto the small stage and say,"Well guys,Thalia asked me to sing a song here so I will."

I hear a son of Apollo say,"Yeah right children of Hades don't do music."

I smile and pull my guitar out of the shadows and summon some spirits and they start playing

**(A/N:Song Lightning by Alex Goot,that's not my name so I don't own it,for what listening to the song, watch?v=ZVzkXun-YWE,there.)**

I smile and say,"This is to you Thalia."

I smile and start singing,"She's staring me down with those electric eyes,

No matter how hard I try,  
I can't escape that gaze tonight,  
That girl's up in the atmosphere,  
That girl's up in the atmosphere,  
Oh,

I'm hypnotized by the way she moves,  
Baby girl please help me soothe,  
Imma take you to the sun and the moon,  
That girl's up in the atmosphere,  
Oh,  
That girl's up in the atmosphere,  
Yeah,

And I've been catching myself thinking you're there,  
It was three in the morning,  
Every day I chase after her,  
But I can't catch lightning,  
Catching myself thinking of it,  
It was three in the morning,  
Every day I chase after her,  
But I can't catch lightning,  
No, I can't catch lightning,"

I see the Aphrodite girls swooning and continue singing only looking at Thalia

"She'll make you believe anything she wants,  
Make you think that you're the one,  
She will keep you there,  
That girl's up in the atmosphere,  
She's way up in the atmosphere,

And I've been catching myself thinking you're there,  
It was three in the morning,  
Every day I chase after her,  
But I can't catch lightning,  
Catching myself thinking of it,  
It was three in the morning,  
Every day I chase after her,  
But I can't catch lightning,  
No, I can't catch lightning  
Oh I can't catch lightning,  
Yeah,  
I can't catch lightning,

She's staring me down with those electric eyes,  
No matter how hard I try,  
I can't escape that gaze tonight,  
That girl's up in the atmosphere,  
That girl's up in the atmosphere,  
That girls up in the atmosphere,  
Oh,  
She's way up in the atmosphere,

And I've been waiting, waiting, waiting for you,  
Anticipating,  
Chasing after things that you do,  
But I can't catch lightning,  
Waiting, waiting, waiting for you  
Anticipating,  
Chasing after things that you do,  
But I can't catch lightning,  
No, I can't catch lightning,  
Oh yeah,  
No I can't catch lightning,  
Oh I can't catch lightning,  
Oh no,  
I can't catch lightning."

Everyone starts clapping and I say,"Next up for this is Percy,careful ladies he's good at it."

Percy walks up nervously and says,"Just like Theseus,I'll decided to do this for my girlfriend,Annabeth(**A/N:Yes Percabeth fans it's book early for them to be a couple and I still don't own the song, watch?v=0YbrtFv6i5A**)."

He smiles and starts singing,I smile and sing with him**(A/N:Percy=**normal** Theseus=**underlined,**Hero by Sterling knigh**t**)**

"I'm no superman  
I can't take your hand  
And fly you anywhere  
You want to go,yeah

I can't read your mind  
Like a billboard sign  
And tell you everything  
You want to hear, but

I'll be your hero"

By this time Percy is staring at Annabeth and said daughter of Athena blushes

"I, I can be everything you need  
If you're the one for me  
Like gravity I'll be unstoppable

I, yeah, I believe in destiny  
I may be an ordinary guy  
With heart and soul  
But if you're the one for me  
I'll be your hero

Could you be the one, could you be the one, could you be the one for me?  
I'll be your hero  
Could you be the one, could you be the one, could you be the one for me?  
I'll be your hero

Searching high and low  
Trying every road  
If I see your face  
I'll barely know,yeah

I'll put my trust in fate  
That you will come my way  
And if it's right  
It's undeniable, yeah

I'll be your hero

I, I can be everything you need  
If you're the one for me  
Like gravity I'll be unstoppable  
I, yeah I believe in destiny  
I may be an ordinary guy  
With heart and soul  
But if you're the one for me  
I'll be your hero

Could you be the one, could you be the one, could you be the one for me?  
I'll be your hero  
Could you be the one, could you be the one, could you be the one for me?  
I'll be your hero

So incredible  
Some kind of miracle  
When it's meant to be  
I'll become a hero  
So I'll wait, wait  
Wait, wait for you

I'll be your hero

I, I can be everything you need  
If you're the one for me  
Like gravity I'll be unstoppable  
Be unstoppable

I, yeah I believe in destiny  
I may be an ordinary guy  
With heart and soul  
But if you're the one for me  
I'll be your hero

Could you be the one, could you be the one, could you be the one for me?  
I'll be your hero  
Could you be the one, could you be the one, could you be the one for me?  
I'll be your hero."

Everyone claps and Chiron says,"Campers time for bed."

We all go to our cabins and I sneak into the Zeus cabin and listen to my mp3 player all night laying in the bed above smiles and says,"That was a good song Thece."

I smile,"Well my sky princess it is just matches my love for you,I'll never know exactly what you want,but I'll try."

**The next day**

Just after dawn the quest group met at Zeus' fist(Now fixed from my destruction spree in the area)

I packed my knapsack in it was,my Thermos of nectar,baggie of ambrosia,bedroll,rope,clothes,flashlights,lots of batteries,my PSP that dad found under my bed in the underworld,several games(All for when I'm relaxing,since I rarely sleep),my weapons,and my mp3 player(I didn't say since you probably already knew but it's black) which is now plugged up and playing blow me away by linkin park**(A/N:I obviously don't own it)**.

Thalia standing beside me with much the same,including a sky blue mp3 player,"Let me guess Zeus saw I had one and gave you one?"

She nods laughing I listen closely and hear 21 guns by green day**(A/N:Don't own it,I should probably just say I don't own the stuff at the end but I'll keep this up)**.

The other campers said goodbye and wished us walked to talk to Chiron but me and Thalia were talking about music,"So Thalia,what do you think of nickleback?"

She says,"They're good my favorite on is If today was your last day."

I smile,"I know it's one of the best."

Percy soon came back over and I was the first one in, descending into darkness my got a hundred feet before my powers were working over drive we decided to use Percy's fire powers for light since his fire can be brighter than the flashlights.I was smiling as everyone except me and Thalia were confused and/or shivering.I smile and say,

"Perce,I feel a god up ahead."

He nods and we bring out our flashlights in case this is one of Kronos' keep walking my body pointing us every where we would go for safe ways I kept going until Janus the Roman god of doorways I move to the side and sit down not caring the god looks at me and asks,

"Hey you,I'm talking here,your friends have the manners to listen except your girlfriend there."

I just ignored him and turned up the music until,Hera appeared.I turn the music down to low and She says,"Causing trouble Janus?"

"N-No milady!" Janus' right face stammered

"Yes."The left one says

"Shut up!"The right one says

"Excuse me"My Aunt says

He says,"Not you milady!I was talking to myself."

"I see," Hera says"You know very well your visit is Permature."

I stop listening there as I look at Thalia and say,"Thalia now might be the time to make up with Hera,she'll like you and maybe we can get her help when we really need it."

She nods

"You must be hungry," Hera said "Sit with me and talk."

She waved her hands and water flowed from the old fountain. A table appeared,laden with platters of sandwiches and pitchers of lemonade.

Hera smiles,"Grover use the napkin don't eat it."

He says,"Yes ma'am."

She asks,"Tyson you're wasting away,would you like another peanut butter sandwich."

He says,"Yes nice lady."

Annabeth asks Hera what she's doing in the labyrinth Hera replies,"I came to see you naturally."

After that I said,"Please Excuse me Lady Hera,but I have to IM my dad."

She nods and I iris message Hades and he says,"Well ,you've gotten to that room,sorry but now you must leave the others and go ahead down the path you and the daughter of Zeus have an appointment with the goddess there,but not now,black fire will appear in front of you when it is time."

I nod and say,"Thanks dad bye."

He says bye as I disconnect I say,"Sorry to interrupt but I must go my dad has a side quest for me that I must do soon so we need to get going so I can lead them through the labyrinth a good while before I must depart."

I walk down the hall the others soon following until we go through a place or whatever and find Alcatraz and I sit up turning my music on high and waiting as Thalia listens and will touch my shoulder when the others start to we stated to move I suddenly felt dizzy and I began to lose my sight only for it to come back but I was not in Alcatraz with my friends

**Vision**

In front of me were two armies one was the other campers and the other is Luke's army,I looked on as Percy and the others mercilessly and I then look as Luke's army captures me and the monsters attack and kill the others.

**Vision 2**

Then I see me and Thalia talking to a goddess that looks like Persephone and my dad mixed I then recognized her,Makaria goddess of blessed death,my immortal sister and a good friend that went missing a month ago but would always visit me at camp when I was touches my forehead and I see my self collapse and the vision me is given a sword made purely of black-fire,don't ask me how I knew,then it was absorbed into the necklace.

**Visions end**

I wake up to see myself being carried by Tyson who seemed kinda scared of me I ask myself,Why would he be scared of me? Oh yeah I remember now.

I say,"Ah,my head feels like Chiron ran over it a thousand times."

Tyson slowly puts me down and we continue to walk until, Percy started running until we stopped at a steel grate,he asked where we were and like his ocean powers I have complete bearings under ground,so I just reviewed my memory,

"Triple G Ranch,that's all I got about this place."

Grover started investigating and I didn't listen as I heard something and turned to see it when I saw nothing I turned back to the others to see them moving.I ran after them only catching up when they were in front of a two-headed dog was snarling,to me he snarled the most at me ,which was understandable as I smell like death to most animals.

"Bad Janus dog"Tyson cried

"Arf!"Grover told it and raised a hand in greeting the dog wasn't as friendly.A guy that most likely was a worker walked up I simply just ignored him and looked around my ADHD made me think,_I'm hungry and I want to learn,such confliction,Shit! _

I hear Annabeth say,"I'm Annabeth Chase daughter of Athena,This is Percy Jackson son of Poseidon Adopted son of Hestia,Theseus Jackson son of Hades adopted son of Athena,Grover the satyr,and Tyson the-"

"Cyclops"He says,"I can tell,I'm Eurytion son of Ares."

Annabeth asks to meet the ranch owner,Thalia and I look at each other and follow,I for what I think is the millionth time on this quest ignore everything until I see the guy with three torsos,I wait until the guy offers a tour to say,

" ,may I ask,you keep something for Hades,right?"

He nods yes and I say,"I'm going to check on it for him."

Geryon smiles,"I was not told of you,who are you exactly?"

I say,"Theseus Jackson,Son of Hades,Adopted son of Athena,and blessed by Artemis."

He says,"A boy with the favor of Artemis,not something you see everyday,you see it's right by Eurytion's leg,Orthus."

I nod and he starts the tour me only looking at the animals long enough for them to make and angry noise at me and then I sit there playing the PSP,out of boredom I was just about to beat a race on my game when Orthus pounces on Percy's chest I experimentally say,

"Heel!"

The dog jumps off but Geryon tells it not to listen to me and do it again I curse and just sit there,noticing the son of Ares behind says we are going to finish the tour and other things

I yell,"You are really working for someone that would sooner kill you then say anything to you,if he had his own choice,I know your weakness."

He glares at me and the dog jumps at me.I sit there and stare into it's eyes working to control it's looks at me and says,"Geryon your a business man let's make a deal."

He asks,"What sort of deal,so you have gold?"

He says,"I've got something better,Barter."

"But ,you've got nothing."

"You could have him clean the suggested innocently.

"I'll do it!"Percy said. "If I fail,you get all of us to Luke for gold."

"Assuming the horses don't eat you," Geryon obseved

"Either way ,you get my friends,but if I succeed,you've got to let all of us go."

Geryon chuckled,"Percy Jackson,those stables haven't been cleaned in a thousand years...Though it's true I might be able to sell more stable space if all that poop was cleared away."

"Sp what have you got to lose?"

the rancher hesitated. "All right,I'll accept your offer,but you haveto get it done by you fail,your friends get sold and I get rich."

"Deal" Percy said

the rancher nodded. "I'm gonna take your friends with me back to the 'll wait for you there."

I looked at Thalia,"Percy,remember there is more of the sea around here than anywhere else in the ranch."

The rancher drives off and we see Percy's figure fade.I look at Thalia again and the dog gets of me getting in Annabeth's lap.I look at it then smile at Thalia,

"Don't worry my sky princess,if I know Percy he'll do it,he's not dumb when it comes to his friends in trouble."

* * *

**Well that is a good place to stop.**


	28. The battle of the labyrinth

**I'm taking the poll down and I must say we only had two votes for yes so my next poll is who should be sent to the roman camp I'm putting it up today,I'll have that ready before the lost hero.**

* * *

ch.28 The battle of the labyrinth

I look around as the two ranchers aren't looking I try grabbing my hidden knife and I cut the first rope before quickly putting it back as Eurytion looks over,I decide it best to sit there and wait for Percy.

**Hours later**

Percy was walking towards us I look at him as I analyze his movements,Geryon notices this,hethrows something at me that hits my head hard as I lose consciousness I think,**Gods of Olympus that asshole!**

**Dream**

I look as I see my dad Hades say,"Theseus when you wake up,leave and go to the room you saw Hera,Makaria will be there to give you and Zeus' girl your new weapons,then you go to your cabin and pack your stuff and come here for your coronation as my prince,I need you to represent the gods without thrones and the underworld,now wake!"

**Dream end**

I woke up instantly from my dream saying,"Thalia,Hades wants us to meet Makaria then go back to camp."

I shadow traveled us back to the spot Hera showed up at and breathing heavily I say,"Normally I could do this without a sweat,but now it took too much energy."

"Well I see you noticed the labyrinth's affect on your powers,my mortal brother."

I turn to see my beloved immortal sister,Makaria.

I smile,"Sis,haven't seen you in a while,I hear your dating Thanatos."

"Who told you?"She asks

I smile and she nods,"Now that the greetings are over,I have weapons for you two."

She holds up a black sword,with flame lines etched into the blade,and a grey hilt.I smile and take hold of it and my black-fire necklace swings and touches the sword and later,the sword disappears,I look as the glow from my necklace fades and I look at the name sword of black flames in Ancient Greek and in Latin.

I look at the necklace then Makaria as she gives Thalia a sky blue spear,I say,"Wait,isn't that the prototype lightning bolt?"

Makaria smiles,"Yes and it becomes a pen,just like Tsunami,the spear is a show of Thalia's parentage."

I nod,"Thanks sis."

She nods and we soon appear at camp,I nod to Thalia and go to the Athena cabin quickly,I grab my stuff and pack it,Thalia soon comes in and I say,

"Thalia,I'm leaving,I'll be back in a week."

She asks,"Why?"

I say,"I'm being crowned Prince of the underworld,my dad wants me there as soon as possible,if I do this I'll represent the underworld and the minor gods in this war."

She asks,"What if we need to know if someone on the quest dies?"

I smile,"Nico and Bianca of course,let everyone know,those two can say if someone is dead,bye,see you when I get back."

**(A/N:I'll just skip all the stuff Theseus has to do for it to happen and just skip to the actual coronation it also explains why Theseus isn't with the others so I'll go with it.)a week later**

Persephone and Makaria are standing to the side as Hades announces,"You Theseus Jackson,son of me and adopted son of Athena,are now crowned prince of the underworld,and I give you the crown of black fire."

He places a stygian iron crown with a diamond made of black fire and some obsidian and onyx gems,on my head.I smile and say,"Dad,I will be going back to camp,mind if I borrow half the army?"

He smiles,"You go ahead."

I shadow travel away.

**Back at camp,with an army of the dead**

I smile at the gaping mouths as I walk out of the shadows with an undead army,Thalia walks up,"Wow,you're different,oh a crown cool."

I look at myself and notice my hair was cut and I had tons of weapons strapped to my back and belt.I smile,"How about after this we go on a date,I'm 14 now,by the way"

I look at the undead army,"Formations!"

They all get into the formations of their time period and I say,"These campers are your commanders,you will be fighting harder than ever."

They just stand there their undead eyes watching the entrance to the labyrinth.I smile and say,"Let's fight together my sky princess?"

She smiles,"Sure corpsebreath."

I smile and wait with her sneaking a kiss every once in a while,The titans army suddenly exploded from the and Thalia draw our fist weapons,Thalia drew her normal spear and Ageis,I drew my normal sword and my shield.

I jumped at the first monster to come through,a lastrygonian,I instantly cut it came through I grab Thalia's waist and shadow travel back as Beckendorf yells,

"Fire!"

The catapults start flinging rocks I smile and both me and Thalia summon our bows and arrows,We start raining arrows down on the enemy army.

I put my bow and quiver back to normal and I jump down drawing my new sword,I run at a telkhine and flip over it stabbing it's back,I smile and start swiftly cutting down the enemy.I stab a lastrygonian and it turns to dust,I cut a telkhine and an undead warrior finishes the job.I throw a stygian knife at one monster which hits it in the forehead.I jump through the army steadily cutting down monsters each one I cut down suddenly burst into black-flames I smile and keep cutting through them and I see Luke talking to Percy I say,

"Perce,you get Thalia I have an idea!"

I run to the back of our army to see Nico and Andromeda fighting some Dracaene I say,"You two we need you at the front."

They follow my and we meet up with Percy and Thalia,and surprisingly Luke,"What's he doing here?"

Percy says,"He switched sides he swore on the styx,now your plan?"

I smile,"Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades children together,what do you think?"

He smiles and so does Thalia and Luke.I jump to the front the others following I yell,"Lightning, Water, Death,let's go!."

With that we start the best 5 people army ever,lightning came from the sky,undead from the ground,water from all around us,I smile and grab Nico,I hold his had above his head and jump onto it then I jump into the air,I smile and grab all my knifes and throw them at the monsters disintegrating several.I slowly fall to the ground with my bow out shooting arrow after arrow,Thalia begins shooting lightning bolts everywhere,Percy and Andromeda are using an ice trident,me and Nico both using death power to bring more undead soldiers,shadow powers to trap the enemies before suffocating them,and monster controlling power making the hellhounds turn on their friends.I smile and shoot black-fire at all the remaining enemy forces continue to attack but we slowly overcome them by demigod numbers,but the monsters keep coming.I see Kampe come from the hole and say,

"I'll kill that thing,Percy take charge,Thalia,keep an eye on my idiot brother."

I jump up making wings out of black-fire and I yell at the monster,"You Kampe will die here,your the only thing keeping the monsters in line,Beckendorf throw me some Greek fire!"

He does so and I throw the jar at the monster's feet and it slowly starts going up I take out the black-fire sword I renamed black-flames,and use it to shooting streams of black-fire at Kampe keeping her occupied.

"Well little brother fighting a big monster,I will help the campers you concentrate on that,fight hard."

I turn slightly to see Makaria.I smile and slash my sword the black-fire following the motions of my sword cutting the giant monster with each about two minutes of this(by this time my arms are aching)Kampe explodes in golden later Quintus/Daedalus and Briares fighting their way out of the labyrinth.I walk up to him,

"There is too many to fight,I know what you're planning and I promise you,you will get into Elysium for it,as a son of Hades,but I'll need to IM my dad."

He nods,"Just do it,I'll handle this."

I walk away from the fight and iris message my dad,"Dad,I want Daedalus to be put in Elysium for what he's about to do."

He nods,"It'll happen."

I walk back to the battle to see it over and everyone looking at the mechanical body of the old inventor,I just turn around and walk into the Athena cabin,on my bed is a box I read the note aloud,

"Dear Theseus,

Thanks for the recommendation to Elysium inside this box is a laptop with my sword designs and my celestial bronze cell phones design

the inventor Daedalus,son of Athena."

"Cool,let's see Theseus do you have a way to beat Kronos,I know as a son of Hades and Athena two of the smartest gods,you must have an idea."

I turn to see Annabeth,I say,"Yes but it could kill Percy,I have more of a chance of surviving than him,the river styx."

Her eyes widen,"That's a idea we will tell him and wait on,besides it's his birthday tomorrow."

I smile,"Well tomorrow is going to be great."

**The next day,****Percy's birthday party**

I smile I told Percy the idea and he said he'd think about it,I smile as Zeus and the other gods show up and Zeus says,"I really should let us go back to coming to camp whenever we want not just on my daughter's,nieces' and nephews' birthdays."

They smile and walk up Zeus says,"First of all mine and Hera's birthday present for you,son of Poseidon,is something that makes Hestia happy,which you want so much,I have made her and Hades Olympians."

Percy smiles and goes over to hug Hestia,I look at my mom,Athena.I smile and say,"Percy,my present to you is Mortem,I won't use it again but you could use another weapon with all the times Tsunami falls out of your hands."

I hand him the ring and he smiles,"Thanks bro."

The rest of the party went by in the blink of an eye.I kept running into Zeus every time me and Thalia kissed,talk about overprotective.

* * *

**Man the end of the book and it is the short chapter I guess**.


	29. Bathing in the Styx,not fun

**Never mind the 2,000 or more it is just getting int eh way now**

* * *

ch.29

I smile as me and Thalia are riding around in a black 2002 Mustang convertible,I smile and say,"Since we're on our day off,what do you want to do?"

She smiles,"I have an idea."

She leans in and I do the same,right before we kiss I hear someone say,"Man,we should have come with you guys on your days off before."

I look at him,"Well you should have asked to come because I want some alone time with my girlfriend."

He looks at me and says,"Oh gods,you don't want to spend time with your little brother and his girlfriend?"

I look at him,"One as I said before,if you hurt her both Percy and Poseidon will kill you,and you should be hanging out with people your own age,besides Andromeda she is your girlfriend,but you need to talk to other 13-year-olds,too."

He nods and I drive us back to camp and when we get there Conner runs up,"Percy's back but Beckendorf didn't make it."

I let my head fall a bit and ask,"Where is Percy now?"

He looks at me,"The big house."

I run to the big house leaving the others far behind me,I run into the room and see them waiting for me and Thalia,Percy recalls what happens leaving Silena and other friends devistated I yell,

"Percy if you had gone with my idea Beckendorf would have survived,you could have saved him,one less son of Hephaestus lost!"

Silena picks her head up and Chiron asks,"What idea is it Theseus?"

I say,"If Percy had bathed in the river styx he would have been able to get Beckendorf to safety."

Chiron says,"It is a good idea in theory,but what point of your body would you choose to become your Achilles heel?"

I say,"I'd choose one of my internal organs."

He smiles,"Smart,you are a true son of Athena."

Percy says,"Let's get to the point the full great prophecy."

Chiron tells Annabeth to take Percy to the oracle,I wait and say,"Chiron tell me which is safer from damage your heart or your small intestine?"

He says,"I'd go with the heart my boy,it is a fail-safe because your bones would be invincible along with your body it is safe enough already,when you bathe in the river styx."

Percy and Annabeth come back down and Percy reads,

"A half-blood of the eldest gods,

Shall reach sixteen against all odds,

And to see the world in an endless sleep,

The hero's soul,cursed blade shall reap-"

He stopped and seemed to be thinking,I suddenly think and say,"A single choice shall end his days,

Olympus to preserve or raze,that's the rest right?"

Annabeth nods and Chiron looks at me and sees that I'm still thinking I say,"I feel like I have something to do with that Hero's soul thing."

Chiron looks at me and says,"Let's hope it's not what I think it is."

Thalia whispers in my ear,"What does he mean?"

I whisper back,"I don't know."

She nods and I say,"Well onto the spy thing Kronos talked about."

A female voice in my head says,_Walk out and into the woods I'll be waiting there._

I look around and make an excuse to leave before running to the woods,when I walked into them I saw Persephone I walk up and she says,"If you go up against Kronos in his new body you need to know,this makes you lose memories of one of your siblings at random,but you can banish Kronos to Tarterus with the memories,they have to be strong,but the memories will be replaced with something else."

She tells me how to do this and leaves,I walk to the side and then back to my cabin where Thalia stands in waiting,I tell her about my meeting with Persephone and she says,

"Go rest."

I look at her and she yells at me saying I need rest,I comply and walk over to my bed going to sleep.

The next day

I sigh at the Athena table as I simply sacrifice all my food to the two goddesses that I like the most Athena and Artemis,the motherly figures in my two I have to get to say they're okay with my idea before I can do it,I decide to Iris message them.I walk out and find the nearest rainbow,

"Iris,may I talk to Athena?"

Her image shows up in the rainbow she asks,"Yes Theseus?"

I tell her my plan using the words bathing in the river styx,she says,"You have mine and Artemis' blessings on this adventure."

I smile and say,"Iris,Hestia please?"

The orange eyed goddess appears in the rainbow,"I know what you are going to ask,I'll be there in an hour."

Time skip:1 hour

Me and Percy run into each other as he walks Mrs.O'Leary I say,"It's time bro."

Hestia appears in a funnel of fire and says,"Percy you need a blessing from your mother to survive this as your adoptive mother I am able to do so,but first before you go I'll show Theseus something."

She places her fingertips on my forehead and I enter a vision.

Vision

Sitting in a chair in an apartment is my mortal mother she smiles as the door opens to reveal a man with black hair and my onyx eyes I recognize him as my dad,Hades,my mortal mother says,

"Poseidon?"

Dad tries to say that he's Hades but she takes him away to a restaurant getting a babysitter for one month old Percy,she says,"Well Poseidon I love you but you should at least be around for the first year of Percy's life,let's go home and maybe Percy will have a brother or sister to keep him occupied."

Vision end

I look around,"So I was a mistake,thanks Hestia,let's go."

I shadow travel Percy to the river styx,"Percy,here's where we start this,so go in or I push you in."

He smiles,"Take your payback now bro."

I smile and push him then I sigh and cannon ball,The feeling of bathing in the river styx is imagine the worst torture and living through it for 3 years straight.I look around then imagine a rope attaching my heart to the ground outside the river styx I smile as I see the vision of Thalia reaching to help me up from the time I scared her and she electrocuted me out of fear.I smile and take her hand pulling me out of the water me and Percy coming out at the same time.I smile at his blush knowing what he quickly went back to camp and Percy went to New York looking for Grover,Don't ask me why.I decided now was as good a time as any to take a nap with my bow in hand quiver on my back.


	30. Defending Olympus

ch.30 defending Olympus

I wake up to my little brother trying to sneak up on me only to find my bow pointed at him,"Be careful Nic you could get hurt."

He says,"Percy found Grover and called us to New York,hurry."

I nod and shadow travel into my Mustang,Thalia jumps in and I drive us I smile and the whole way I tell Thalia about everything worth mentioning ,she yells,

"You are not a mistake Theseus,your wonderful!"

I nod and we ride in we got to the Empire state building I press a black buttin on the dash board and the mustang shadow traveled to camp.I look around and see Mrs.O'Leary heeling and we all stand waiting for what's next.

Percy says,"Thanks for coming ,after you."

says,"I only came to wish you luck."

Percy nods and I say,"I'm going into the empire state building,Nico go to the underworld and tell dad to get ready for a huge battle,then come here."

I run in noticing the doorman is not to be seen(Probably on break) I walk in the elevator and up to Olympus.I run to the throne room and I step behind the thrones to think,

_If I use what Persephone showed me,I'll forget Percy,but if I don't A family member will die._

_Forget or death?_

_Yes Malcom betrayed us but he wanted Athena to notice him more,his pride got in the way._

_I'll save Malcom._

_But he took a dip in the styx,how will I do it?_

_His weak spot we'll find it._

_Man I need to stop hanging with Annabeth so much,it's making me over think things_

_Another thing I can't do anything about my curse of Achilles until the end of the month,where I'll know the ins and outs._

I walk from behind the thrones to see Annabeth and Percy leaving the throne room.I walked after them and I notice the quiet city underneath us I sit and watch for a while before going down the elevator and meeting up with Thalia.I smile and kiss her before taking a drachma from her pocket before sending my black wristcuff to Athena,I smile and say,

"Thalia tell me where do you want to be for this battle?"

She says,"Promise me that you'll survive this and we'll still love each other."

I smile,"I promise I'll survive,I might not remember Percy being my brother or in fact not liking him,but I'll still love you more than my own life,more than I love my family."

She asks,"Will you give me another kiss?"

I smile,"Anytime my sky princess."

I then say,"I'm gonna go get some sleep before the fight starts."

**After some rest**

When I wake up from my nap I walk outside to see Percy giving orders,"-Michael take Apollo cabin to the Williamsburg Bridge,Katie take Demeter's cabin to the Brooklyn-Battery thorn bushes and poison ivy in the whatever you have to do,but keep them out of there! Conner take half of the Hermes cabin and cover Manhattan you take the other half and cover the Brooklyn Bridge. And no stopping for looting or pillaging!"

"AWW!"The entire Hermes cabin complained

"Silena,take the Aphrodite crew to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel."

"Oh my gods," one of her sisters says. "Fifth Avenue is so on our!We could accessorize,and monsters,like,totally hate the smell of Gigenchy."

"No delays."He says, "Well...The perfume thing,if you think it'll work."

He gets kissed by six Aphrodite girls kiss his cheek in excitement.

He continues,"Jake take the Hephaestus and set Greek fire traps and other things."

He grinned," We've got a score to Beckendorf!"

Thhe whole cabin roared in approval."The 59th Street Bridge,"

"Claisse-"

He then noticed the Ares cabin wasn't here.

Annabeth turns to Thalia,"Thalia,take the Athena cabin activate plan 23 along the way."

She smiles and takes the cabin.

Then someone reminds him he forgot a tunnel a girl behind us says,"Leave that to us."

I turn to see my sister Bianca,"Sis,you seem okay,do some good for Artemis and dad."

She smiles and nods I say,"Perce,where should I go?"

He says,"Go with Apollo cabin."

He raises Tsunami and yells,"FOR OLYMPUS!"

Everyone shouted in response,We quickly go to our places and I smile before pulling out my bow,"Well you got an extra bow with you,time to take advantage of it."

I watch and soon we get attacked tons of monsters are coming across I smile when Michael say,"you're the son of one of the big three,you give the order."

I yell,"Let it rain!"

Everyone releases their arrows laughing at my phrasing I then see something I know I don't want to see,"The minotaur!"

they look and see what I am,I take out my black,celestial bronze insulated,cell phone,I call Annabeth ,"The minotaur is here,we need help!"

She hangs up and I go back to shooting each shot brings down one monster,I smile and step forward bringing out Black-flames and my field of punishment shield making all monsters step back except one really stupid one. Percy flies up and says,"Well bro,you need some help?"

I say,"You fight beef-brain here I'll kill everything else."

I step forward slashing through the monsters,cutting through demigods and fighting my hardest.I knocked a kid with a spear unconscious,he couldn't have been more than 10.I jumped through the army,knockiing out the young demigods and killing the ones old enough to have been wiser,and killing al monsters,except hellhounds which I tamed,and killing pretty much anything.I soon stopped when Annabeth said we were overextended,I stop and see a camp half-blood necklace that I felt belonged to a son of Hades,I picked it up and ran back in time to see Percy destroy the bridge.I look at the necklace in my hand and put it on with the other one.I put Black-flames,my sword, back to normal. and I sighed not even effected by the when I fought unlike Percy,who looked tired.


	31. Saving Olympus

**As it turns out if I don't listen to music I get writer's block,it sucks.**

**Warning I might not go into great detail because I'm kinda annoyed,because this computer is shutting off every few minutes.**

* * *

ch.31 saving Olympus

I ran with Percy turns out when I was fighting a guy with a poisoned knife got passed me and almost killed Percy,but Annabeth got in the she's dieing of poison.I let Percy go in and I sit pacing until Bianca and Thalia come in.I kiss Thalia and hug my little sister.I tell them what happened and they go to check on a peace meeting is called and when Percy asks me to come I say,

"No,I'm going out to check up on things with my dad."

I turn and go find a rainbow then I say,"Iris I know I annoy you a lot but can you show me my dad?"

Hades is shown I ask,"Dad,we need you here soon."

after what seemed like minutes He nods,"I'll be there soon."

Later

Percy went over to fight the Hyperion guy,a man in armor decorated with small suns glowing in the sun he yells,

"I'm Helios titan of the sun,son of Hyperion!"

I say,"Well I'm Theseus Jackson,son of Hades,adopted son of Athena,blessed by Artemis,prince of the underworld."

He smiles,"you are the son of a stupid death god,I'm the titan of the sun,your father is the god of shadows therefore I'll kill you."

He jumps at me and I say,"I don't need my dad's help to beat you."

I jump at him and slash with Black-flames,cutting his face,he steps back and I say,"Hellhounds,kill!"

The tamed hellhounds gather and attack Helios giving my time to take out my shield and summon as many hellhounds as I could without using up my energy which is about a hellhounds attack the titan forces while Helios gets free to see what I've unleashed,I smile,"Now,I would request your surrender,before I show you why I'm powerful."

He lunges at me but I side step and kick his back before throwing a stygian knife hitting his arm I shadow travel behind him and stab him then pulling the knife from his shoulder and sticking it where the sun doesn't shine.I kick him and slash my sword making black fire gather around it causing great pain I smile as I seethe saytrs preparing something I push him back until he and Hyperion are back to back.I watch as the Satyrs make tree roots grow over their feet and soon they both are encased in a huge maple tree.I smile and say,

"Grover,you satyrs aren't that bad,good job."

We suddenly hear a loud,"REEEEET!"

The maker of the sound was the Clazmonian Sow,I hate to say it but,Kronos knows what he's goes to fight it while I stay back and fight,cutting down monsters,killing the enemy demigods,and taming the hellhounds the next hour was a blur I fought like crazy using a handy power I found where I take everything I need by stepping on a shadow,my enemy loses their sleep and I gain it,they lose their energy I gain it they lose their swords when I disarm them.I soon collapsed and went unconscious due to energy loss.

When I woke up I saw Percy,Annabeth, and Grover go into the elevator and I we got to Olympus I say,

"Perce I'm not going back down until after the war,I have a feeling Kronos might get passed you guys I'll watch over the throne room."

He nods and I sit back waiting

**Later**

I get up as Kronos comes up,smiling using Malcom's body to do so,I move to attack but he freezes me in time,"After this I might adopt you as my son and you will do my dirty work and tend to things I don't want to,you are after all powerful and your mind will be easily changed."

I sigh,w_hy does everyone want me for some reason?I'm just as powerful as Percy_.

Soon Percy comes up and sees me frozen in time and then goes to Kronos.I decided to wait for Percy to get Kronos to lose his walks up and Ethan warns Kronos of this and Kronos asks if he should destroy Percy and offered to get him out of the gasps with an idea and says the line about a hero's soul I smile and when Kronos starts fighting with Backbiter I regain moving ability.I look around and get an idea I pull out my sword and throw it at Kronos and fight him while Percy talks to Ethan Kronos asks,

"Well Theseus,you and your father have shown me you cannot be trusted but you intrigue me,I hope you know what you're doing."

He jumps at me and attacks while I block his attacks with ease I say,"Kronos both you and I know I have always been a better swordsman than Malcom and Luke combined,Malcom isn't a good swordsman."

He growls and Ethan attacks Kronos and Kronos kills him but me and Percy promise him to get the minor gods respect and we attack Kronos ,I soon stop and pull up to Annbeth she says,

"The cursed blade is my knife,Malcom promised as long as I have the knife we wouldn't lose campers."

I nod and we start talking to Malcom and soon Malcom says in his own voice,"I'm sorry you two,Annabeth hand me the knife,I'll get rid of Kronos."

Percy grabs the knife and hesitantly hands it to Malcom he undoes his armor around his underarm he stabs himself,before he can die I say,"Let him be saved,I give my memories to save his life,fates take the offerings."

I then promptly loose consciousness

When I wake I'm at camp and in the Hades,I see the new cabins are built and here's the kicker a kid with sea-green eyes and black hair walks up,

" Theseus you're awake finally."

I ask,"Do I know you?"

He's about to say something when my girlfriend walks up and pulls him to the side when he walks back over he says,"Well,Theseus Di Angelo,how are you?"

I say,"Good do you know where my brother is?"

He says,"I think he's in the big house."

I walk off.

* * *

Side POV

Percy and Thalia's conversation(Percy's POV)

Thalia pulls me to the side and says,"He doesn't know you're his brother,what he did to save Malcom erased his memory of being your brother and put the memory of being full blood relation to Nico and Bianca,and adoption when Zeus killed Maria Di Angelo,he was given all that knowledge to replace his time with you as a brother everyone else knew this but you,now you are just a cousin."

I nod,"That sucks."

* * *

**Didn't see that coming did you?Maybe you did,vote on my poll on who should be sent to the roman camp.**


	32. we meet four new demigods

**The Poll is closed,so Thalia and Percy are switched out for Jason and..oops,almost gave it away,you'll find out in the chapter. :D**

* * *

ch.32 I meet four new demigods

I get up quickly,Today we have a lead on Percy and Thalia's whereabouts,you see they disappeared,I think it was three days ago, and we've searched like crazy,Annabeth's been worried about Percy and I'd say I was worried but not completely, Thalia can defend her self,Percy not so much,that son of Poseidon is kinda stupid.

Annabeth and I meet up at the Apollo cabin and ask,"Hey Will can we borrow the flying chariot?"

He says,"Sure,bring it back in one piece though."

We go get Butch son of Iris to drive the chariot.I smile as the Pegasai don't get scared when I step onto the chariot.I say,"When we get there I'll be riding back on Bonebreath,no offense Butch but I'm kinda hated by all living animals,except owls."

He nods,"None taken if you don't take offense when I say you creep me out."

I nod,"None taken."

We smile and I say,"So,The Grand Canyon,I wonder what Hera is trying to pull."

Annabeth says,"Percy and Thalia first,Hera second."

I nod and we fly in silence until we land when we are 10 feet from the ground I jump out of the chariot and make shadows go under me to lower me down slowly,Annabeth jumps off when it is about to land.

I ask,"Where are they?"

I look at the group and see one girl with chocolate-brown hair and eyes that seem to change color,a boy with black hair and elf-ish features,two blonde guys,both with electric blue eyes,one has a small scar on his lip.

The one with the scar asks,"where's who?"

Annabeth asks,"What about your protector Gleeson Hedge?"

The black-haired guy says,"He got taken by some tornado things."

"Venti," The guy with the scar says,"Storm spirits."

I say,"You mean anemoi thuellai?That's the Greek are you,and what happened?"

The one with the scar explains,without looking into mine or Annabeth's halfway through the story of how the blonde guys woke up with no memories to us getting through the black-haired guy asks me,

"Dude,what's with you and your girlfriends eyes,they're weird,yours is like we're staring at death,the blonde's is like she wants to strangle us."

I say,"One,that's my adoptive sister,two,my girlfriend went missing a month ago and we're looking for her and Annbeth's boyfriend,and three,It's because I'm a son of Hades and She is an angry daughter of Athena."

He nods,"Okay."

He walks to the others. When the story is finished Annabeth says,"No,no,no!She told me they'd be told me if we came here,we'd find the answer,I miss Thalia and Percy."

The blonde with a scar makes a face at Thalia's name and I say,"Annabeth,look."

I point to the two blonde guys around the neck of the first one is a lightning necklace and the one with the scar is missing one shoe and his foot was black.

"Hera tricked me!"She says

Butch says,"Guys we should leave soon,bad news only 5 people will fit in the chariot,Theseus will Bonebreath let an extra person ride?"

I say,"If I tell him to yeah."

The blonde guy with the lightning necklace says,"I'll ride with Theseus."

I smile,"Watch this."

I stomp on the floor and a skeleton Pegasus appears,"Hello Bonebreath."

He says in my mind,Hello master,I see you want me to carry an extra.

I get on an offer my arm to the extra passenger,he grabs my arm and pulls himself then takes off while we fly I say,"I'm Theseus Di Angelo,son of Hades,Adopted son of Athena,blessed by Artemis,bearer of the curse of Achillies,savior of Olympus,and tamer of hellhounds."

He says,"I'm Sam,sorry but I don't remember my last name or if I was claimed,I do have times when I see things and remember them from that part of my life."

I smile,"I have a feeling your black-haired friend will be claimed when we get to camp,tell me have you noticed and powers you might have?"

He says,"Like surviving lightning and using wind as a shield."

I look at him,"You are a son of Zeus,that is including your eye color into the description."

He says,"Wow,the dude with the lightning bolt is my father,cool."

I say,"My dad is the lord of the underworld so it's not much different except my dad has more in his domain than your dad does."

He nods,"Yeah but isn't he feared?"

I say,"Actually he is one of the gods that gets some of the most offerings,he saved quite a few demigods in the war last summer,I'm prince of the underworld,by the way."

He looks at me,"I was promised to become a god if I die,then I'll become a god,just like Hercules did."

He says,"A good honor,tell me do you have any siblings?"

I say,"There's my brother and sister,Nico and Bianca Di Angelo,Nico is at camp,but Bianca is the lieutenant of the hunters of Artemis."

He says,"Wow,so you do have a soft heart under that rocky exterior."

I look at him,"Theseus,when you talk about your siblings you instantly lose that permanent glare you have,you do the same just when you say or hear Thalia's name."

I look at him,"My fatal flaw is loyalty Sam therefore being a son of Hades,it's hard to get me to like you,thus I'm safer with that fatal flaw."

He nods,"Then how come your talking to me like I'm a sibling."

I look at him once more,"I'm dating your sister,I either trust you or Thalia will be mad at me."

He looks at me,"You love Thalia a lot don't you?"

I say,"I'd sacrifice my body and soul for Thalia,I've already told her that."

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**Good ending right? I chose another son of Jupiter to add because there are 2,there may be another if I add that person,children of Poseidon, 4 children of Hades/Pluto,and two children of Zeus/Jupiter,adding a child of Jupiter evens it out.**


	33. The quest for Hera begins

**Okay posting the chapters might get slower,because I'm also watching the anime Blue Exorcist.**

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ch.33 Quest for Hera begins

I'd like to so we got to camp without problem,I'd like to,but the truth is Butch and Annabeth crash landed.I sigh knowing full well Will is going to gind a way to blame me.

When the others get out they are quickly given blankets and asked tons of questions,once we are all calm a image appears over Leo,the black haired kid's,head a flaming hammer.

I say,"People back to your regular duties,Will take Leo to see his cabin mates."

Will nods and pulls Leo with him.I look at Annabeth,"I'll take Jason and Sam here to Chiron."

She nods and I walk towards the big house,the sons of Zeus behind me.I knock on the door and wait,Chiron comes out and sees Jason he says,"You should be dead."

I look at him,"Chiron I'm going to my cabin inspection duties now."

I grab the clipboard and walk outside I walk up to the Poseidon cabin to see Andromeda cleaning I look around and say,"Poseidon cabin,5 out of 5,good job."

I continue to the next cabin,Ares cabin,they got a 3 out of 5,then the Apollo cabin gets 4 out of 5,Hephaestus got 4 out of 5,Hermes 4 out of 5,Hades 5 out of 5(Well I am kinda strict on the clean up policy),and so on the lowest was a 1 out of 5 which was the Tyche cabin.I smile and continue my duties I then go to teach a class when Nico runs up,

"Thece,Annabeth needs you."

I say,"Can you go teach my class for me?"

He nods and I run to the big I get inside I see Piper unconscious,"Well,seeing this I'd guess it has something to do with Hera."

She nods I turn around and start walking out,I say,"Call me when the campfire is about to start,I'm going to my secret training ground."

She says,"Sure,I'll send Sam."

I walk out and look through the woods following the trees with a fire carved into it,until I reach a boulder and place my hand on it pushing shadows into it a black-fire symbol appears on it before it opens I walk through and down some stairs,I smile and say,

"Andromeda,why did you come?"

She gasps,"I wanted to see you train."

I say,"You,know I'm only here to study the library on ways to get Jason and Sam's memories back,some if not all."

I go to the library and Andromeda follows I say,"search for regaining memories any book on it."

She nods and I start looking through the books until I find one that reads, "Stolen memories by Morpheus".

I look through it and smile as I find what we're looking for,I hear someone yell,"Theseus,Annebeth sent me to tell you it's time for the campfire!"

I nod at Andromeda and we run up,I smile and hand him the book,"Let's go."

I run to the campfire smiling as I walk up to Annabeth and say,"I found a book that will bring back some memories."

She smiles and says,"We'll do it after this."

I smile and read the book until I hear a prophecy,

"Children of lightning,beware the earth,

The giants' revenge,the seven shall birth,

Child of death,will bring back the past,

The forge and the dove shall break the cage,

and death unleashed through Hera's rage."

Everyone looks at me and Nico,plus the new demigods.I say,"I'll go,but any one who touches my stuff while I'm gone will find themselves in Tartarus."

Everyone besides Piper,Leo,Sam,and Jason look at me knowing that it wasn't an empty threat.I say,"Now the forge and the dove,that's Hephaestus and Aphrodite."

I nod and walk off to my cabin to get some rest before the quest.

**The next day**

I run outside after hearing the dragon is back,me and Nico seem to be the only ones that can fight back without getting overly quickly see Leo get off the Dragon and informs us that the dragon is soon take off and I sit back,

"Sam?Jason?"

They look at me and notice the tone of my voice,"Yes?"

I say,"Let's see what memories we can give back to you."

They look at me,I continue,"I trust you enough to try this,but remember,I'm the prince of the underworld for a reason."

Leo gulps,"He scares me."

Piper nods,"He's supposed to be scary,but he's goth or something so he might kill you Leo."

I glare at her,"I'm not goth,I just like the color black."

She nods,"Okay,the memory thing."

I say,"The only way to get the memories back is to make the spots where the memories should be make themselves known,think about your life and it'll start showing itself,while they're doing that,Leo to Quebec."

I watch as Sam instantly remembers 90% of it,Jason only remembering 60%. I smile,"Now I don't have to hide it,I've been to the Roman camp remember me,because I do have the tattoo to prove it."

I lift up my arm pulling my jacket off a bit to show black-fire with SPQR and 3 stripes under 's eyes widen,"You-you,your the one that beat me in hand to hand combat on your first day,you didn't even break a sweat,I cursed you for that."

I smile,"Well my friend if I told you that I was listening to music during the fight,what would you do?"

I hold my mp3 player up. He growls,"You are kinda annoying,like Leo."

I say,"I'll take that as a complement."

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**Thanks for reading.**


	34. Boreas' palace

**Yep,I'm back and I'm ready to work,suggestions would be helpful.**

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ch.34 Boreas' palace

I smile as I'm the only person awake that isn't driving the dragon because I get to sit back and wait for our destination,also a benefit of no one behind me I can lay back.I look at Jason and say,

"Well man everyone's asleep and I need one of you to know that before Thalia went missing we met Boreas he's not going to be happy to see me,a word of warning,he wants to kill me."

I then lay back and close my eyes,falling into a deep uninterrupted I wake up I see the sun going wakes Sam and Leo up telling them we're here.

I say,"Quebec city,one of North Americas oldestCities, founded around the 1600s home of Boreas, and most annoying city I've ever been to."

Sam asks,"So you've been here before?"

I nod,"Yes,oh by the way Boreas wants to kill me so me being here isn't exactly helping your case."

I laugh and say,"Well,you guys might be fine but if Boreas talks to me directly I'm screwed."

Leo and Jason laugh with me,while Sam and Piper look worried.

Jason says,"Guys we got company."

I look down to see the sons of Boreas coming at us when I see them I sigh and then they see me and Zethes yells in his fake french accent,"Son of Hades,you stole my girl,I would have made her happy,she was quite beautiful!"

I calmly say,"Zethes,she wasn't yours anyway she was and still is my girlfriend,also I make her extremely happy,besides these demigods need to speak to Boreas and I need something your sister stole from me,now out of my way before I exterminate you and give Cal your stuff."

**Flashback,one month ago,Boreas' palace.**

I walk through the halls with Khione as she tells me what to do with her father I walk in and he says something in french Khione immediately translates,

"Father says that a spawn of Hades shouldn't be in his throne room."

I look at him and yell,"Well Lord Boreas if you don't like me go fuck yourself because I am the strongest son of Hades to ever exist,I'm also prince of the underworld!"

He says another phrase in french and Khione translates,"Father says that he is going to kill your girlfriend for that statement."

I yell,"If you so much as push the air on Thalia,I swear on all existence that your sons will die,and your immortal sons and demigod children will be extinct by the time I'm done,leaving only Khione."

He yells in English,"Get out of my Palace!"

I simply walk out and on my way out Khione grabs my dad's gift for my last birthday,a pair of sunglasses(Hey I love the stuff my dad gives me,okay?)

I just calmly leave promising my self I'll get it back.

**Flash back-end**

He growls and steps looks at me from in front of Piper so he doesn't see my eyes,but Jason was right in front of me and he black-fire projecting in my eyes and quickly looked we fly in I throw Cal a Stygian Iron sword that I summoned from my room in the underworld,

"Keep your brother quiet and you can keep it."

He smiles and nods I move everyone upstairs and when Khione shows up I say,"you guys go ahead,I'll deal with this bitch."

They move slowly away from the fuming goddess.I yell,"Give me back my dad's gift!"

she hold up the sunglasses,"These,you must really love Hades to care so much about his gift."

I say,"A few years while I was at camp the gods were able to come see their children once a month,until your ass of a dad had to say something."

She glares at me and throws my sunglasses downstairs where Leo was sent after reaching Boreas' throne room when Boreas first saw him Leo yells,

"Cool sunglasses!"

I glare at her,"You will show my dad and the things he gives me with respect bitch,I will be sure to do what it takes to make you."

she says,"Out of my presence mortal before I kill you."

I smile,"Do it,prove you have all rights to be a goddess,Zethes already knows I could kill him,so does Cal,the difference is Cal is on my good side,you,Zethes,and Boreas are on my bad side."

She glares at me glowing I continue,"But if you do I promise you,I will be back and you will be killed by my hands,you know what I'm suggesting."

She looks at me scared,I smile and walk downstairs.I look at Leo and say,"Dude can I have my glasses back?"

He looks at me and probably noticed the look I was giving the glasses handing them to me I put them on and say,"Thanks my dad's gifts are what I cherish the most besides Thalia that is."

He looks at me and says,"you must really love Jason's sister."

I look at him,"I do love her,she beautiful,the way she looks in battle is stunning,and her eyes when she saw my room in the underworld."

He asks me,"What girl do you think I will fall in love with?"

I say,"You'll know when you feel a spark of fire in your heart,wow that was a unintentional pun."

Leo laughs and the others comeback,Zethes with a black eye I smile at Cal,"Keep the sword it's yours,hit your brother with it every once in a while."

We fly off me laughing as I tell them about my adventures with Percy, after Jason tells us about Where to find the storm spirits, they laugh at the stupid things me and my friends did.


	35. Monocle Motors

**Sorry it took so long my computer wouldn't open this chapter until the day before yesterday.  
**

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ch.35 Monocle Motors

Jason looks at me in awe,"So let me get this straight,Percy has the power to destroy a volcano and you have the power to destroy the Amazon with one small black flame the size of my head?"

I nod,Sam smiles,"I feel better about you being on the quest,no offense but you creep me out."

I say,"None taken I radiate death after all in fact the only ones here not affected are me and the dragon,even Percy was creeped out by it."

Jason says,"Wait,your siblings are creeped out by the auras they have aren't they?"

I nod,"Yes usually even children of Hades have it affect the child some way,though me and Leo are both outsiders even among our siblings."

They look at Leo I say,"Leo I know what Boreas meant by smelling fire on you Jason described Boreas' facial expression and I know his expression,you're a fire user."

Leo's face drops and I say,"Leo you are no freak,I mean Piper can charmspeak people,Jason and Sam can control lightning and fly,I can create black-fire,control shadows,make diamonds and money appear,and summon monsters,if anyone here is a freak it's me."

I start laughing the others doing the same. After a while of talking,laughing,some fighting,and a small black-fire demonstration the dragon stops and falls dragging us with it as it falls we fall after him he sinks through the sky like a rock in water we fall a lot slower.

I hear Leo yell,"Noooot cooool!"

I laugh and yell,"Everyone hold on."

The grab my shoulder and I shadow travel to the ground. They all look relieved and I say,"Me and Leo will go to Festus and fix it,I'm the only child of Athena here adopted or otherwise."

They nod and we walk over to the dragon I draw my sword and keep watch.I say,"What do you got Leo?"

He says,"The brain disc froze over,I don't know how."

I yell,"That snow bitch!"

He looks at me and nods,"Only she could have done that."

I say,"Leo,I'm going for a walk take this."

I hand him a stygian iron knife from one of my knife holding pockets.I walk off into the building over and search it,to find some Ambrosia, some backpacks, and a few weapons.

I look around and soon find a car,I look at it and say,"Cool but I should go after the others before they leave without me."

I turn around but suddenly see a club smack my head and I lose consciousness.

**Later**

When I awoke everyone was watching the storm spirits I sat back and concentrated placing one of my special ghost abilities and told the spirit to follow the storm spirits I opened my eyes and says,

"Well that ghost is going to want pay but I've got a spy."

They look at me knowing not to question it before I creep them out with the explanation.

We follow the storm spirits to a sewer drain,I sigh,"Well can't be worse than the labyrinth."

They look at me I say,"Yeah long story short I now hate mazes."

they nod and we go in I say,"Man if Percy was here he could use his powers and there would be a buffet here."

They look at me once more I say,"Well as you know I'm the son of Hades and adopted son of Athena Percy on the other hand is the son of Poseidon whereas he is adopted by Hestia so with that he gets fire power and other Hestia abilities such as the ability to create food out of thin air."

Piper says,"The more I learn about you and this Percy guy the more I wonder,you seem so much alike but you said your last name was Di Angelo."

I nod and Jason says,"Wait guys,has the streak of hair that gets in front of his eye always been blonde?"

I look at him then I put my hand through a shadow and pull out a black mirror,Bianca's mirror I look and sure enough one lock of my hair is blonde in a streak of blonde going from my scalp to my eye I say,

"Wow I think the Athena adoption does change me a bit more than I thought it just took a while to physically change me."

I put the mirror back and I say,"I'm gonna get some sleep."

I then lay down and close my eyes.

Later

Sam wakes me up and says,"Dude when we get back to camp can you take me to Olympus?"

I nod,"Sure that is if you survive I know I can survive the curse of Achilles makes me invincible and I can shadow travel out of danger."

I look up and say,"Guys I think it might be good if I give you some of my extra weapons,because that knife,the toolbelt and if destroyed Jason and Sam's swords will be useless against who we are about to face."

They look at me,"Yes Sam this person is able to do that to your sword now I will tell you now I always have a extra weapon with me, because to be honest my normal weapon is pretty dangerous."

I show them black-flames,my sword,"This is very dangerous I rarely use it nowadays because it has become unpredictable."

I put it back in necklace form and pull out one silver ring and throw it to Jason I say,"It's Acheronain a very bad metal it makes whatever it touches feel the greatest pain."

I throw Piper a ring similar but with a diamond on it I say,"Careful with that it is enchanted to make whatever it's blade touches decay."

I throw a black ring to Sam,"Stygian Iron,not much different from what I gave Jason seeing as I'm the most dangerous here followed by Jason and same we don't need the enchantments because our powers short most enchantments on our weapons out except the ones we obviously don't stop."

I throw Leo the final one,"it's a good sword your dad gave it to me and I must say it's better for children of Hephaestus is seems when a child of Hephaestus is holding it they gain control over fire but since you normally do it will just make it stronger you guys can keep those."

They nod their thanks and I smile,"Well you can thank me being the prince of the underworld that I have all these weapons they are usually in my weapons closet in the underworld but I do pack a lot of weapons."

I pull out black-flames,"I'll see if this will go haywire I have a feeling."

I pull out a sheath put the sheath on my belt before sheathing the sword and manipulating the mist to where no one can see it unless they coulde see through the mist,I smile,

"I'm ready."

I look at them and then remember the great prophecy

_Ten half-bloods shall answer the call,_

_To storm or fire, the world must fall,_

_An oath to keep with a final breath, _

_Son of the underworld holds the key, _

_Daughter of the sky loses what she holds dear, _

_Death of the prince ends the war for better or worse, _

A_nd foes bear arms to the Doors of Death_

I shiver knowing that I will die in this war but I promised myself to leave Thalia someone strong and smart.

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**I hope you like it. Please review.**


	36. Don't mess with Theseus

**Man I love this story, please review.**

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Don't mess with Theseus

We broke camp and started down the tunnel.I just walked taking the directions the ghost reported, we soon found polished steel doors each one engraved with a cursive M.I looked at the directory,

**Parking, Kennels, main entrance-sewer level**

**Furnishings and cafe M-1**

**Women's fashion and magical appliances-2**

**Men's wear and weaponry-3**

**Cosmetics, Potions, poisons, and sundries-4**

Piper says,"Kennels for what?"

"And what kind of department store has its entrance in a sewer?"

I look for kennels with my shadow powers and I gulp,"Piper you don't want to know."

They take notice of my change in attitude from okay to fear, I go in the elevator and press 4, the others get in and I put my black-flames hilt nervously.

When the doors open we are bombarded with the smell of perfume I say,"Ugh, if there is one thing I hate its perfume."

Jason laughs, I step out, my hand gripping the hilt of black-flames I look around and instantly I yell,"Shit sticks this is amazing a little brighter than I'd design it but good."

I step around and say,"Where is she?"

"Where's who dear boy?" I look around and see the witch Medea I say,

"I know who you are I'm immune to your charmspeak, I am a son of the underworld and king of black-fire." I say

She says,"Well I have something here you want we both know that."

I nod and say,"Yes so if you give me and my friends what we want I can give you anyone item from the underworld, deal?"

She thinks about it and says,"Well if you could get me a vial of Cerberus' saliva I might let you go and for letting your friends go you give me a pet hellhound."

I think about it and ask,"How about for the storm spirits and the satyr you have here?"

She looks towards the fountain and says,"Well if you could give me one of Persephone's pomegranates then that will seal our deal."

I say,"Well I do have two of the pomegranates, and I can summon a tamed hellhound."

I summon the tamed hellhound and hand a pomegranate to Medea. I then say,"But I can't give you Cerberus' saliva without killing the guardian of my fathers palace,if it was a regular item maybe but if it kills something important it is not part of the bargain."

The others having been listening from a few feet away I whisper to Jason,"Take the others out of here, as long as there's a shadow around I can shadow travel to you."

He nods and says,"Guys she's letting us go let's go."

Piper looks at him,"Jason what about Thece?"

He says,"Theseus is a son of Hades he'll be okay his dad will pick him up. He won't ignore his favorite son."

Piper says,"Fine let's go."

I smile as they leave peacefully and I turn to Medea and say,"Well as they are gone I'll just say,evil is not permitted in my sight and want to know my definition of evil is?"

She shrugs and I say,"Anyone that deals with Titans and personifications."

I then in a flash draw Black-flames and drive it through her stomach as she turns to dust I grab a few potions and shadow travel off to the dragon.

I smile as I appear under a scrap metal umbrella I say,"Wow couldn't of been more creative Leo?"

He says,"I could have but it was Piper's idea."

I nod and smile as they notice the bulges in my pocket I hand them the potions and I say,"These are temporary curse of Achilles potions and mine is to destroy something but I have to pour it on myself and it'll let me destroy something but I'll lose the curse of Achilles."

Jason says,"So it's one of those emergency things."

It wasn't a question he knew it as well as everyone else we all knew something would happen and soon. I say,"Well guys I'm gonna get some sleep."

**Later**

When I wake up we are falling the dragon with it's ruby eyes dim, I look down and I yell,"Why gods why, I will kill whoever did this."

I then look down and next thing I know I fall in a lake and lose consciousness When I wake up I see a nymph and I say,"Thank you miss."

she looks at me and winks,"Anytime."

I say,"Persephone is in need of a normal river maybe you'd like to help miss she'd even plant flowers on the banks of the river I know you nymphs can do that I'll recommend you if you want."

She says,"Well some time to serve the goddess of spring is pretty good and get close to Hades,I'd like the recommendation."**(A/N:This is just because Theseus is such a gentleman that he always offers rewards to those who save him as you may have noticed.)**

I smile and walk off. I look for the others and I walk into a mansion to see the others talking to some guy and his son I walk in and say,"Guys I've been looking everywhere for ya, damn I've still got a crick in my neck from when I hit the water, hello sir Theseus Di Angelo."

He nods to me and says,"Get him the hell out of here Lit, he's a son of Hades."

I smile sheepishly,"I see there's no love for Hades here."

The old guy says,"Oh no, Hades is my idol but one of his children killed me Aroian I think it was his name."

I look at him,"Oh, yeah sorry about that from my research Aroian wasn't right in the head, he was plotting to kill all the men in Greece and make the women slaves and lots of other things."

We continue to talk and the old man soon turns on us Piper and Leo's powers stop working,and he turns them into gold,Jason and Sam start to get angry and I knock them out with the shadows suffocating them until the pass out, I smile as my powers still work Midas stutters,

"Why aren't his powers stopped?"

I say,"You can't stop my powers because as you may have noticed the underworld powers aren't the same as those up here but then again a son of Zeus' powers also work now you might want to thank me if not for me knocking out Jason and Sam your statues might have been unfrozen now,I can kill you with black-fire."

I draw black flames as Lit runs at me he instantly stops and I say,"Tsk, tsk, never run with something sharp."

I then stab his chest and his blood oozes out extremely slowly then spurts out when I pull the blade rruns at me to touch me and I coat my body in black-fire burning his hand to the bone before he pulls away.I say,

"Midas you know another name for black fire?"

He nods no and I say,"Decay fire."

I smile and grab his head my had covered in black fire and the skin under my hand decays leaving Midas screaming in agony I stop when I burn through his skull and then I pray to Zeus,

"We need rain Lord Zeus."

It then starts to rain and I think, I guess Zeus is in a good mood.

When everything is wet and the statues become people again I grab Sam and Gleeson Hedge grabs Jason I take the storm spirits and make shadow harnesses before letting them loose and the blast us off to where we land outside a burned down house I say,

"Wow I need to get me a pet storm spirit that was a lot of ground we covered." I then stab the storm spirits before waking Jason and Sam decide to camp out and wait til tomorrow since we have today and tomorrow to rescue Hera.

I say,"Guys I sense something coming at us not human and farther off is a familiar energy."

They nod and get up quickly to see a pack of wolves with glowing red eyes I pull out my bow and draw a Acheronian silver arrow the lead guy walks up and I say,

"Well if it isn't Lycaon and the Lycanthropes."

He says,"You seem familiar I saw one of Artemis' hunters that looks like you looking about 12, black hair, onyx eyes, a tiara, she smelled really good I would have loved to eat her."

I yell,"That's my sister you're talking about you μπάσταρδος, you καριόλης."

Hedge tells the others,"Damn Theseus is mad, last time he got this mad we had to evacuate camp and rebuild all of the camp."

I can tell the others are scared Lycaon notices and smiles,"Well son of Hades I might go back and eat her now."

I growl and suddenly a circle of black-fire flares up and completely hiding me when it dies down my eyes instead of onyx were literally black-fire, I could feel my hair being blown around by the flames. Suddenly a silver arrow impacts Lycaon's foot I stop and the black-fire disappears I look to see Bianca she walks up and hugs me I kiss the top of her head and she says,

"Thanks for defending me bro."

I smile and say,"Piper, Leo, Jason, and Sam, this is my sister Bianca Di Angelo."

She greets them warmly and they greet her Leo staring I whisper to him,"Leo you won't be able to get her as a girlfriend."

I smile and Bianca says,"Girls we've caught Lycaon's pack lets get this over with."

I puck up my bow from where I dropped it and I shoot his forehead turning him to dust Bianca looks at me and I say,"No one threatens my sister."

she smiles warmly at all decide to camp and fight in the morning.

**The next day**

We wake up and see the hunters getting ready I take all my weapons and turn them into their weapon forms and strap the extra ones to my belt and back which is a stygian iron sword that Hades gave me when I last visited him and the stygian iron spear mom gave me.

We jump around getting ready and run into the house instantly confronted by the snow goddess I look at Leo,"Leo the best way to avenge Festus is to save Hera I'll take care of the snow bitch."

He nods and the snow goddess growls the monsters behind her attack the hunters Bianca attacks the snow goddess and the goddess smiles before freezing her.

I growl and yell,"YOU BITCH! I'LL THROW YOU INTO TARTERUS MYSELF! NO ONE TOUCHES MY SISTER OR THEY FACE THE WRATH OF THESEUS DI ANGELO, SON OF HADES, ADOPTED SON OF ATHENA, BLESSED BY ARTEMIS, AND MASTER OF DECAY FIRE!"

Patches of black-fire appears all around most of the black-fire appears around me in a high circle of black flames around me my eyes completely black everyone stares at me even the monsters, imagine the Lycaon thing except 1,000 times scarier and 2,000 times worse in destructive power, I step forward slowly the snow goddess throws all the blizzards, snow daggers, and snow monsters she can at me only for them to turn into ashes instead of water. I grab her face and throw her into the wall,making her fly through it and across the field I walk after her and I grab her chest this time and throw her into the air and draw my sword when she falls I hold it up and slash she falls holding her side as it decays to her ribs before she can heal I jump and slice again with every slice another patch of grass is covered in black-fire I slash across her chest with my blade and make all the flames cover her body until only atoms are left. then I march back up to see the giant king Porphyrion beginning to form I instantly cover him with black-fire just the same as with Khione I then turn to the others and the black-fire disappears and I say,

"Feeling sleepy, gods of Olympus I need some rest, good night."

I then fall down,unconscious.

* * *

**I'll do the rest of the Heroes of Olympus on a sequel and yes I did change a lot in this chapter. REVIEW.**


	37. Author's note

My sequel to this Theseus and the Heroes of Olympus is started.

You're welcome


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